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Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana believe they can conjure up a surprising win over Brazil on Thursday in their Confederations Cup semi-final because "everyone expects them to lose".
There has been plenty talk about Brazil crushing the hosts at Coca Cola Park and taking on European champions Spain in Sunday's final.
The Spaniards will play the USA on Wednesday night in Bloemfontein in the first semi-final.
"We have nothing to lose. Brazil is the team that is under pressure because it is expected of them to destroy us," said Bafana's defensive midfielder Benson Mhlongo.
"If we could stop Spain for more than half of the game, why can't we hold off Brazil? We will definitely not be scared of them and will seize the opportunity."
"We are not going around saying that we will beat them. The best we can do is to focus on every moment and to ensure that we don't lose concentration."
Mhlongo is one of the three defensive midfielders in the South African team. A decision that Bafana coach Joel Santana is continuously criticised for.
Santana prizes safety first by employing Mhlongo, Kagisho Dikgacoi and Macbeth Sibaya instead of more attacking players like Siphiwe Tshabalala and Elrio van Heerden.
Sibaya will miss out on the semi-final due to a suspension but it is unlikely Santana will change his strategy now.
He will probably replace Sibaya with another defensive player like Lance Davids.
"People are perhaps not satisfied with our strategy but our goalkeeper hardly had any work when we had three defending midfielders in the team," said Mhlongo.
"It doesn't help us to commit suicide by neglecting our defence."
"People say the coach's head is on the block but he is really only continuing with the work that his predecessor, Carlos Alberto Parreira, started three years ago."
"That is precisely why matches against Spain and Brazil are so important. We can only learn from them and it can do wonders for us ahead of next year's World Cup."
Bafana lost both previous matches against Brazil, but four players in the group have achieved success against the South Americans at an U23 level.
Aaron Mokoena, Matthew Booth, Brian Baloyi and Rowen Fernandez, were in the national U23 team that beat Brazil in 2000 by three goals to one at the Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Two of the Brazilians who play against Bafana on Thursday, Lucio and Julio Cesar were in the team that lost to AmaGlugglug.
Johannesburg – Bafana Bafana believe they can conjure up a surprising win over Brazil on Thursday in their Confederations Cup semi-final because "everyone expects them to lose".
There has been plenty talk about Brazil crushing the hosts at Coca Cola Park and taking on European champions Spain in Sunday's final.
The Spaniards will play the USA on Wednesday night in Bloemfontein in the first semi-final.
"We have nothing to lose. Brazil is the team that is under pressure because it is expected of them to destroy us," said Bafana's defensive midfielder Benson Mhlongo.
"If we could stop Spain for more than half of the game, why can't we hold off Brazil? We will definitely not be scared of them and will seize the opportunity."
"We are not going around saying that we will beat them. The best we can do is to focus on every moment and to ensure that we don't lose concentration."
Mhlongo is one of the three defensive midfielders in the South African team. A decision that Bafana coach Joel Santana is continuously criticised for.
Santana prizes safety first by employing Mhlongo, Kagisho Dikgacoi and Macbeth Sibaya instead of more attacking players like Siphiwe Tshabalala and Elrio van Heerden.
Sibaya will miss out on the semi-final due to a suspension but it is unlikely Santana will change his strategy now.
He will probably replace Sibaya with another defensive player like Lance Davids.
"People are perhaps not satisfied with our strategy but our goalkeeper hardly had any work when we had three defending midfielders in the team," said Mhlongo.
"It doesn't help us to commit suicide by neglecting our defence."
"People say the coach's head is on the block but he is really only continuing with the work that his predecessor, Carlos Alberto Parreira, started three years ago."
"That is precisely why matches against Spain and Brazil are so important. We can only learn from them and it can do wonders for us ahead of next year's World Cup."
Bafana lost both previous matches against Brazil, but four players in the group have achieved success against the South Americans at an U23 level.
Aaron Mokoena, Matthew Booth, Brian Baloyi and Rowen Fernandez, were in the national U23 team that beat Brazil in 2000 by three goals to one at the Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Two of the Brazilians who play against Bafana on Thursday, Lucio and Julio Cesar were in the team that lost to AmaGlugglug.
