Bafana Bafana have a daunting task at hand when they take to the field against the number one ranked African side, Algeria.
The South Africans will open their 2015 African Cup Nations Group C encounter this evening against the Desert Warriors at Mongomo Stadium.
Mpumalanga Black Aces coach, Clive Barker told the Siya crew that winning the first game is very vital for Bafana.
The 1996 Afcon winning coach said just like they did in their continental glory 19 years ago, when goals from Philemon Masinga, Mark Williams and Shoes Moshoeu led Barker’s charges to a convincing 3-0 win over Cameroon, it’s imperative Bafana have a good account of themselves when the whistle blows.
"The first game is the most crucial one. Remember the Springboks had to beat New Zealand and we had to overcome Cameroon in that first game and we went on to win the tournament. So winning the first game is very crucial.
"It's very, very important to get used to playing top teams. I remember when we were to play Brazil, we were very nervous but Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish were already playing in Europe so that helped us. As for Algeria, they have the European influence and they are tough but if you saw the way we played against Mali in the last friendly game we showed that we have turned the corner.
"We are quick against tough opponents and if we play like that tonight, we will win the game and start the tournament on a positive note which is what we want," Barker concluded.
Source: Soccer Laduma