Thalente Mbatha shrugs off pressure as Bafana Bafana target Zimbabwe win

South Africa went down 1-0 to 10-man Egypt at the Stade Adrar in Agadir on Friday night, a result that leaves qualification for the knockout stages finely balanced heading into the final round of group matches.

Hugo Broos’ side will now face Zimbabwe on Monday, 29 December, knowing that a positive result could be enough to book their place in the next round of the tournament.

Speaking after the match, Mbatha dismissed suggestions that the loss has placed unnecessary pressure on the squad, backing Bafana to respond in the decisive fixture.

“There isn’t much pressure on us,” Mbatha told SABC Sport. “We know the quality we have in this team and we believe we can go and get the three points.”

The midfielder stressed that attention must now turn to execution and adherence to the coach’s tactical instructions rather than dwelling on the Egypt result.

“For us, it’s about focusing on the game plan the coach gives us and making sure we carry it out properly,” he added.

Mbatha also admitted that South Africa have not played with enough confidence in their last two outings and identified belief as a key area that must improve against Zimbabwe.

“We need to be more confident and trust our abilities,” he said. “The quality is there, but in the last two games we haven’t shown it enough.”

He concluded by calling for greater sharpness and composure as Bafana prepare for their final group test.

“We have to be wiser, sharper and fully focused on the game,” Mbatha said.