Afcon 2013: South Africa v Mali
Venue: Moses Mabhida Stadium
Time: 20h30

After almost 11 years Mali and Bafana Bafana meet again in the quarter-finals of the Afcon Cup.

In 2002 the two teams met and it was in Mali where the host won 2-0 and tonight all eyes will be on Gordon Igesund and his boys to win and qualify for the semi-finals.

Igesund said that he has watched Mali and he knows his opponents so he has to change the game plan.

He said he has seen that Malians are tall players and they have to play a passing game.

“I can’t say much about our game plan but one thing we know is we will have a different game plan. We have to avoid set pieces whether corner kicks or free kicks because they could be dangerous as well. As for penalties we have worked on them but we don’t want to go that far. There is 90 minutes and extra time I think that will be enough to win the game without penalties,” Igesund said.

His counterpart Patrice Carteron said that the game will be won or lost in the midfield.

He said both teams have good midfielders who can decide the outcome of the game.

“This game will be a midfield battle. The team that reads the midfield well will win this game. It will be tough and it needs well planning in the centre of the part of both teams if we have to win the game. Past history doesn’t matter in such tournaments as each team wants to make their own history,” Carteron concluded.

Afcon players to watch:
South Africa: Siyabonga Sangweni
Mali: Seydou Keita
For more details go to http://www.soccerladuma.com