Following their 4-0 drubbing of Namibia, South Africa are preparing for an even tougher outing when they face a Tunisian side that is desperate for their first Group E victory in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 as the teams prepare to face each other on Wednesday, 24 January in Korhogo.
The South Africans bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Mali in style with their high scoring match over Namibia on Sunday, while Tunisia on the other hand, who suffered a 1-0 shock defeat to Namibia in their opening game, played out to a 1-1 draw against Mali.
This is what the coaches and players had to say ahead of the fixture:
Hugo Broos – South Africa coach:
“Our first goal was to achieve the second round and pass the group stages. Our opponent has a slight advantage since they have had a day more to prepare. However, after Sunday’s big victory, we have a boost of energy. The team will be ready. We know Tunisia is a great team. I think they underestimated Namibia, the match against Mali is what we will analyze. We will fight every second for a good result.
It will be a very heated game. They are under pressure but the same applies to us because if we lose, it will be a tricky situation.”
Grant Kekana – South Africa:
Everyone is confident and looking forward to tomorrow. We don’t want to go home early. We will try our best to get a good result.
We are fortunate enough at Sundown to experience different conditions of Africa. Sometimes the hostility as well. It has played a big role in how we approach this AFCON. The level is very high and all teams want to win. We are grateful that we have played Champions League which has helped us in this tournament.
Jalel Kadri – Tunisia Coach:
We know people are expecting a lot from us. We are in a difficult group and need to play well in order to succeed. We have to start with high concentration in the match. We have several players with experience, but we still need to work hard to get the victory.
South Africa has a team of players who have experience on the continent from Mamelodi Sundowns. Tunisia needs to use its strength. SA is good offensively and we should be ready for that.
Seifeddine Jaziri – Tunisia Forward:
We know it will not be easy and when we are in this situation, we only rely on God. We have to be present on a physical aspect and also present across all levels.
The team performs better when they are in difficult situations. We will take up our responsibility and play well in order to make Tunisians happy.
We know South Africa has good players and have a player in Egypt but we have a chance to win as well and must take all the created chances.
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