Johannesburg – Following a plethora of withdrawals from the Bafana Bafana soccer squad due for duty in the Cosafa Cup in Zambia, coach Gordon Igesund says his troops are well prepared.

Bafana, after being given a bye into the knockout stages, face Namibia in a quarter-final clash at the Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka on Saturday.

As the tournament falls outside a FIFA sanctioned date, local clubs were not obliged to release players, and Igesund had to make changes to over half the original squad of 20.

“I am happy to be in this situation, because most players do well under pressure and this might be a good thing for us,” Igesund said on Friday.

“I am just hopeful that the selected players get to show the country what they are about,” he said.

“We have a group of very talented and hungry players who are ready to prove themselves.

“Even though we have had only two training sessions, I have seen the passion and determination in these players. I believe they can do it.”

South Africa comes up against a Namibian side which has scored six goals in two matches in the Cosafa Cup tournament so far.

Namibia defeated Mauritius 2-1 and downed the Seychelles 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

The two sides have met five times before. South Africa has won twice, Namibia once, and the other two matches were draws.

SAPA