Former Bafana Bafana right back Edward “Magents” Motale believes the national team can progress to the second round at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast if they can get a good start against Mali in Korhogo on Tuesday.
Motale, who was part of the iconic Bafana team which won the Afcon on home soil with the late Clive Barker in 1996, said the first game is always a good indicator of how the team might fare in a tournament.
“I think we’ll go to the next round. I’ve a strong belief that we’ll get a point against Mali, we’ll beat (Peter) Shalulile (Namibia) and then we’ll go to the next round,” said Motale of Bafana’s group E which is completed by Namibia and Tunisia.
“The balance of the team is fair because you have young and old players and they will complement each other with energy and experience. But Afcon is a big stage and if you didn’t plan well, whether you have all the Maradonas and the Peles, it’s going to be difficult for you.
