Johannesburg - Africa Cup of Nations-winning captain Neil Tovey believes South Africa can use home advantage to conquer the continent again in this year’s tournament.
However, the ex-skipper believes Bafana Bafana have a tough journey ahead.
Having tasted victory in 1996 against Tunisia in the Afcon final, Tovey knows just how challenging the journey can be.
“I would be over the moon if Bafana went all the way to win the tournament,” Tovey told the Saturday Star, but he warned that there were many good teams, so no game would be easy.
Bafana Bafana begin their Afcon journey tonight when they take on Cape Verde Islands at the National Stadium in Joburg.
Tovey believes it is crucial that Bafana qualify comfortably from the group stage.
The national team will take on Angola and Morocco in their remaining two games of the group stage.
“If Bafana don’t qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament it will be hugely disappointing,” said Tovey.
“Although it would be amazing for Bafana to go all the way, the least we are expecting is for them to get past the group stages and hopefully finish top of the group.
“In tournaments like these, you can’t look ahead. Bafana need to take the tournament step by step and focus on each game as it comes.”
Asked which Bafana players would play a key part in the tournament, Tovey said it was difficult to point out certain individuals.
“Every player on the pitch will play a crucial part in Bafana’s quest for victory,” he said.
“However if Bafana are to do well, goals need to be scored from all the players on the field, and the two central midfielders need to control the game – those for me are the most important.”
Aside from football tactics, Tovey said the mental approach and leadership on the field were just as important.
“Each player needs to believe in himself in order to do well. We need leaders on the field who will take command when the team is in trouble.”
Tovey identified leadership as one of the key reasons why Bafana Bafana won the Afcon in 1996.
“What made our group so special was that each player on the field was a leader,” he said.
Tovey backed new Bafana coach Gordon Igesund.
“I believe he’s the right man to lead Bafana. All coaches need to be given time to show what they can do and I certainly hope that Gordon is given a chance.”
Although he would love to see Bafana lift the trophy, Tovey singled out Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Ghana as favourites to win the tournament.
He said he was looking forward to an action-packed month of football.
“The tournament is packed with players of quality. There are players from the Spanish La Liga, English Premiership, German Bundesliga, the Italian Serie A, as well as the French Ligue, so there is tons of quality.”
Having won the tournament 17 years ago, Tovey says he still gets chills down his spine thinking about the day he lifted the Afcon trophy.
“I hope our guys win it in on home soil – it will be special,” he said.
Saturday Star