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Port Elizabeth - Siphiwe Tshabalala is confident Bafana Bafana can maintain their unbeaten record against Africa's number one ranked team Ivory Coast on Saturday.
Pitso Mosimane's men will battle the Elephants on home turf at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the 17th edition of the match that honours the former South African president this weekend.
And while the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder says he and his international team-mates are determined to go all-out against the Ivorians, Tshabalala insists he is not expecting a walk in the park.
"It will be a tough match because we will be playing Africa's number one team with a lot of experienced players in their team, but it is exactly what we need at this stage," he told Football365.co.za.
"As much as we are rebuilding after failing to qualify for the AFCON, it is still very important for us that we play against the tough countries in order to improve."
The 27-year-old also said that despite this being a stern test of Bafana's mettle, he believes the team are more than capable of beating the star-studded Cote d'Ivoire side.
"It is going to be a good test for us and also, it is good for us to prove ourselves against a high-ranked side that can give us a good test. We are well aware that the expectations are high, but we will be ready. We will be ready to win the match," Tshabalala added.
South Africa have not lost to the West Africans in four previous meetings, but the Ivorians are currently ranked 19th in FIFA's world rankings, compared to Bafana's 49th placing.
