We are not scared of anybody – Jamiro Monteiro

With growing belief that The Blue Sharks can go all the way having equaled their record from 2013 at the continental tournament, Monteiro says the size of their population doesn’t mean they should be underestimated. 

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''We are very proud, It's an amazing feeling. We're like a small country but we are not scared of nobody, it's crazy just looking at where we are now -  I hope we keep going like this and we are going to the final,'' said Monteiro. 

Monteiro and his teammates have already proven what they are capable of -  having finished top of a group that included Ghana and Egypt, setting up a round of 16 tie with minnows Mauritania. 

They had to labour for the win, relying on a late penalty from captain Ryan Mendes in what was clearly one of their toughest matches yet. 

''I think this one was the toughest game we had, they were really pressing us. But at the end of the game, we won the game and that's more important. He told us [the coach] to play simple, and we did just that in the second half,'' added Monteiro.

For his contribution, Monteiro was voted Man of the Match. But it’s their overall performance at the AFCON that has forced everyone to take note. 

They will face the winner of tonight’s clash between Morocco and Bafana Bafana, and the USA-based star says they know what works for their team. 

''I think if we stay hungry and humble we can make it for sure. We are humble and we are one as a team. Like everybody is close to each other, we have good contact with each other and that's the most important thing in a team,'' he concluded.