Sphephelo Sithole says the result against Egypt in 2019, a motivating factor in this team

By Velile Mnyandu
30th January 2024

When Bafana Bafana last appeared at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in 2019 in Egypt, they shocked the hosts nation by dumping them out of the tournament in the round of 16 stage, and this is something that is motivating midfielder Sphephelo Sithole and his teammates.

Ahead of the crucial game against the continent’s no.1 ranked country Morocco, in the same stage of the tournament in this 34th edition of AFCON, Sithole says they are drawing strength and confidence from that result from four years ago.

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Speaking in his home language (isiZulu), the young lad from Ulundi says the 2019 result is a positive reminder to their ambitions.

''I think we are all motivated, what happened in Egypt in the past will motivate us - this tells us that everything is possible. So tomorrow [this evening] it is a do or die game because if we lose we go home, so we know that we must win,'' said Sithole.

With Morocco coming in as favourites in this game and expected to line-up in a strong attack and midfield of Sofyan Amrabat, Azz-Eddine Ounahi and Youssef En-Neysri, the combination and Sithole and Mokoena in the midfield will have to be at its best to ensure passage into the last eight, a script that’s well understood by the 24-year-old.

''I think my combination with mokoena has been working well so far, if we continue playing like this, the team will go far,'' added Sithole.

Sithole, a product of the KwaZulu-Natal Academy and has been based in Portugal for over six years, with Tondela in Liga Portugal 2 has also weighed in on the weather conditions here in San Pedro. It’s more humid than in Korhogo, where Bafana have been based, when the game kicks-off tonight the temperatures will be around 29 degrees Celsius. As a European-based player, Sithole says they have had to adjust to these weather conditions.

''The conditions are difficult, especially coming from South Africa, it's too hot here. But as players we need to adapt in every situation if we want to play well, and we have to up our game,'' he concluded.

Sithole, a member of the 2015 team that Molefi Ntseki took to the U17 World Cup in Chile, also made his debut at the senior level against Morocco three years ago in the AFCON qualifiers in Rabat. He understands the expectations from this game fully.