The international break is back, and several teams will line up this weekend in the quest to secure a place in Qatar next year. The African group stage World Cup qualifiers approach the final stretch of the group stage, with two matches left to play. The picture will be clearer after matchday five.
Amid a tight race with Ghana in Group G, South Africa’s two games against Ghana and Zimbabwe becomes decisive.
Speaking on Bafana Bafana’s upcoming matches, Keagan Dolly advised what Bafana Bafana must do to avoid a repeat of the disaster of 2018. The team was humiliated and bundled out of the World Cup race by Cape Verde.
Dolly knows that two more wins over Ghana and Zimbabwe will see them progress to the final round of the qualifiers. The team will make it through if they avoid a defeat to Ghana and secure a win over Zimbabwe.
While the pundits and fans punch their calculators, South Africa will be strong favourites when they host Zimbabwe at the FNB Stadium on Thursday.
The Kaizer Chiefs star knows the task ahead and draws from the Cape Verde debacle to see South Africa through to Qatar.
Dolly warned of complacency and advised the team not to underestimate the Warriors of Zimbabwe on Thursday. He pointed out how minnows Cape Verde shocked Bafana Bafana with back-to-back defeats in 2018. He said the team should learn from it to overcome Ghana and Zimbabwe.
“I think it’s just [about] the mentality going into each game. We should know that there are no easy games,” the Kaizer Chiefs star told the media on Monday.
“Especially now, with Zimbabwe at home, this is the most important one. We shouldn’t focus on Ghana. We first have to deal with Zimbabwe. I think in the past that was one of our problems.
Finally, he advised the team not to lose focus but to keep their eyes on the prize.