South Africa coach: Eagles will have to work very hard to beat us

Stuart Baxter, head coach of Bafana Bafana, says  Nigeria will have to work very hard to beat his side in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification game.

Speaking with TheCable, Baxter said he expects the encounter with the Super Eagles at the FNB stadium in Johannesburg to be a tough one.

“I can not guarantee a win but if they are going to beat us, they’ll have to really really work hard for it,” Baxter told TheCable.

“One team revenge is one thing, getting it is another. It is 90 minutes of play and there is the opponent on the other side of the field to play them. We are not going to lie down and die. This game is going right down to the wire.

“It’s going to be a very tough game and Nigeria have a very good team.”

Baxter also expressed his respect for the Nigerian side that “can create problems from so many levels, physically, technically and tactically”.

“They can create problems from so many levels, physically, technically and tactically.

“I think if we stretch ourselves and we play to the best of our ability and implement our game plan, I think we’ll give them problems and they don’t, they’ll have a problem with us.

“No, we went there and we played very tactically and disciplined.

“It is pleasing for me to say South Africa team played tactically with discipline.”

The coach also opened up on what Bafana Bafana strategy will be.

“So, we also have to play tactically and disciplined in this game because we are home and we need to win and we’ll be on the back foot hopefully.

“And if we are, we’ll have to deal with that because there won’t be a choice. But we want to get out of the group.

“We won’t want them to dictate the game too much. We don’t want to be on the back foot on our own pitch. For our own confidence, I think that’s very important.

“We want to block them as much as we can. We want to hit them and make sure we create big spaces because we are always better with the big spaces.

“Incase they want to drop off and want to play a little more cagey, then we have got a little bit of plan for that. So, our ball circulation and our movement around the box is really important for us.

“Absolutely! We want to take every chance we can especially this is our home ground.”

Baxter reacted to Delta state government cash incentive to the Super Eagles to aid the team to beat South Africa on Saturday.

“You see even when I started playing football, money has never been my guide but it’s nice to have a reward if you feel so,” he said.

“I don’t feel its a better reward when given some extra millions. The reward I get is if I see the faces of the people out there that they are happy. And that the players are proud of themselves.

“So, I think the whole of South Africa is going through a tough time because the big companies are cutting back.

“So, we also need to cut back because we can’t pay our players such amount of money. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, I think it’s just reflecting what’s happening in South Africa.

“Buckle your belt, tighten your belt a little bit, put your fight jacket on for a war. That’s it. And I don’t think we will better worried if we get paid extra 25 grand. Maybe Nigeria, I don’t know.

“But I can’t honestly criticise South Africa because of that. Money is not an issue with us. We just want the three points.”