On Thursday, Bafana Bafana will compete for one of the two spots available in Group K, alongside their hosts, Morocco, and Liberia.
Hugo Broos, the South African coach, believes that Zimbabwe’s disqualification has not made the qualifying process any simpler.
He said
“It’s a big qualifier because Morocco are a very good team and it’s the first game of the qualifiers,” Broos told SAFA’s media team. “The first game of the qualifiers and the first game is always important.
“If you can record a good result, it becomes a little bit easier for the next games because you don’t have to chase the other ones. It’s a little bit different now with three countries [after Zimbabwe’s ban] in one group, so it’s a little bit different but having a good start is important.
“It’s a tricky situation,” he added. “At the moment, Zimbabwe is out and I heard left and right that ‘it will be easier now.’ Nothing is easy. Even the games against [fellow Group K side] Liberia will not be easy.
“We have to play those games and be at the best level to win those games. Again, one more or one less, it changes things a little bit, and if we win twice in September then we qualify, but you have to win twice. It’s always the same thing, you have to win the games.”
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