South Africa head coach Thabo Senong is expecting a difficult match against Nigeria in their third place match at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday, but says they will do everything in their power to come out with a positive result against the Flying Eagles.
The Amajita suffered a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their semi-final fixture at the Seyni Kountche Stadium on Wednesday , following an unfortunate own-goal which came off defender Givemore Khupe in the 73rd minute.
The South Africans qualified for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland after finishing in the top four of this year’s biennial continental youth tournament.
Both teams battled to a goalless draw when they met in the group stage two weeks ago with the Flying Eagles finding it difficult to break down a resolute Amajita defence.
However, Senong insists his wards have what it takes to beat the Flying Eagles this time around and end the competition on a high.
“We played to a 0-0 draw the last time we played Nigeria in our Group A encounter,” Senong told reporters.
“Every game we participate in we always approach it with the intent of winning it. The same attitude will be applied in our 3rd place play-off match against Nigeria.”
