South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos has said his side is motivated to play against Nigeria in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire.
Broos, who stated this during a pre-match conference on Tuesday, said that getting to the semi-finals was motivation for them, based on the country’s recent performance at the AFCON.
“We are very happy and motivated that we will play tomorrow in the semi-finals of the AFCON.
“For many people, it was unexpected, but we did it and ensured South Africa became a team to be reckoned with on the continent.
“Also, it’s more than 20 years ago that South Africa played in the semi-finals.
“Even more than that, we played in the finals, so what that means is that we have a lot of motivation,” he said.
The Belgian tactician admitted to Nigeria’s quality but still maintained his confidence in his squad for the crucial game.
“We are playing against a good team tomorrow, number six in the ranking; that means a lot for our players.
“Nigeria has had the upper hand on South Africa in recent meetings, but it’s not a worrying situation for us.
“For many, Nigeria are the favourite to win, but that’s not always the case in football.
“We are confident and motivated to try and ensure it doesn’t happen, and South Africa will play in the final for the first time in 20 years,” he said.
(NAN)