Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter burst hopeful fans’ bubble by insisting his team are not favourites for the Afcon title.
South Africa qualified for their third continental tournament at only the fifth time of asking.
But that hasn’t stopped hardcore Bafana fans demanding that the national team bring home the trophy for the first time since 1996, having gone through their qualification campaign unbeaten.
However, Baxter says his team is far from the finished article after Sunday night’s goalless draw with Ghana in Dubai, as they prepare for their Group D opener with Ivory Coast on Monday.
The former Kaizer Chiefs boss says: “Bafana Bafana is a team in reconstruction, this team is OK. We have not lost in almost one and half years now; that is encouraging but to talk of being favourites will be like stretching it.
“There is Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco who all feel they have much better chance than us.
“What we need to do is improve and play our game with confidence and not to show exaggerated respect for our opponents. If we can win a few games, then you never know what happens next.
“I looked at the team and I thought there are certain players who put their hands up and there are some players who might have weakened their case. I've thought of the players who I think should be in the starting line-up, most of them did well.”