Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter has had a change of heart and suddenly believes the national team can still qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Barely three weeks ago, Baxter had appeared like a man who was ready to throw in the towel after Bafana lost back-to-back qualifiers against Cape Verde, especially the second one in Durban.

The 64-year-old has had some time to reflect and when he met the media again yesterday - to announce the squad to play Burkina Faso at FNB Stadium on October 7 - he was sounding more confident.

"If you ask me how it felt five minutes after my father died and I would tell you it's difficult to go on.

"Ask me a month later, I would tell you life goes on and you see things differently," Baxter reasoned.

"Immediately after the game, I was so devastated that I couldn't see the sun coming up the following day.

"So you ask me any question [straight after the match], you are going to get a slightly negative, downtrodden response. Could I be confident at that time? Probably not.

"Looking at the games again, looking at how we can move forward, looking at the squad I've selected, thinking about our opponents and knowing we are playing here, we will have a go at them," he said.

Bafana must win their remaining three matches to stand any chance of qualifying for the tournament.

After playing Burkina Faso, they will face Senegal in November after Fifa ordered a replay of SA's 2-1 win in Polokwane last year.

Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey has been banned for life after "manipulating" the match.

Bafana will end their campaign with another match against Senegal in Dakar the same month.