BAFANA Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa admits he was surprised to see Wednesday's opponents, Nigeria, in a shock 3-2 defeat to Congo in their Africa Cup of Nations opener at home on Saturday, giving a slight twist to their clash this week.
They welcome the Super Eagles to the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.
Meyiwa, pictured, kept a clean sheet as South Africa turned it on to beat Sudan 3-0 away in coach Shakes Mashaba's first match since his appointment in July.
The goalkeeper, while stressing the importance of focusing entirely on Nigeria, believes Group A has not quite gone according to the script.
"We had to watch both teams play because we are in the same group," said Meyiwa yesterday. "We will be pushed to give our best because Nigeria and Congo have quality players. It's going to be even more difficult now. Nigeria want points and their trip here means they will be picking a strong squad against us.
"Maybe we need a similar approach: to be compact at the back, keep our shape and the discipline," Meyiwa said.
"We are meeting our nemesis, but my gut feel is that all that is about to change. Wednesday should be a defining moment for us," said Mashaba after beating Sudan.
- Additional reporting by Marc Strydom.
Senzo wary - Bafana face low flying Eagles
BAFANA Bafana captain Senzo Meyiwa admits he was surprised to see Wednesday's opponents, Nigeria, in a shock 3-2 defeat to Congo in their Africa Cup of Nations opener at home on Saturday, giving a slight twist to their clash this week.
They welcome the Super Eagles to the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday night.
Meyiwa, pictured, kept a clean sheet as South Africa turned it on to beat Sudan 3-0 away in coach Shakes Mashaba's first match since his appointment in July.
The goalkeeper, while stressing the importance of focusing entirely on Nigeria, believes Group A has not quite gone according to the script.
"We had to watch both teams play because we are in the same group," said Meyiwa yesterday. "We will be pushed to give our best because Nigeria and Congo have quality players. It's going to be even more difficult now. Nigeria want points and their trip here means they will be picking a strong squad against us.
"Maybe we need a similar approach: to be compact at the back, keep our shape and the discipline," Meyiwa said.
"We are meeting our nemesis, but my gut feel is that all that is about to change. Wednesday should be a defining moment for us," said Mashaba after beating Sudan.
- Additional reporting by Marc Strydom.
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