South Africa warned against underestimating Cape Verde in AFCON quarter-final
Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Hans Vonk has warned the South Africa national team ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final clash against Cape Verde.
Bafana Bafana secured a surprise victory over tournament favourites Morocco in the Round of 16, and Vonk has warned against underestimating the resilient Cape Verde national team.
Vonk acknowledged Cape Verde’s tactical skill and emphasized that the upcoming match could be challenging.
He urged the South African team to continue with the same approach they used against Morocco, maintaining solid defense and scoring beautiful goals.
While advising coach Hugo Broos to have faith in the winning squad, Vonk cautioned against underestimating Cape Verde.
He stressed that underestimating the opponent is a significant danger in football, especially after a great result.
Vonk noted that facing Cape Verde might be more difficult than the Morocco game, and humility would be crucial for success.
“Speaking from my own experience, Cape Verde had a very nice team, I think we once went there and the score was 1-2,” Vonk told KickOff.
“That game was very difficult, they’ve got a very tactical skill. But if I was the boys I wouldn’t worry too much about Cape Verde.
“They must just continue what they were doing against Morocco where they defended well and scored beautiful goals.”
“They should be careful of underestimating Cape Verde though, underestimating your opponent is the biggest danger in football after a great result in the Morocco game. To now think we can win the Afcon just because we beat Morocco…That’s not true, this one is going to be more difficult,” he continued.
“Morocco were favourites, so against them, it’s easy to put yourself in the underdog position. It’s a difficult scenario when you have to play Cape Verde and everyone thinks you are the favourite. Based on absolutely nothing we are not favourites, I think (humility) is what will see us through,” he concluded.
Bafana Bafana is set to face Cape Verde in the AFCON quarter-finals on Saturday, February 3rd, with the aim of advancing to the semi-final stage of the competition.
The match on Saturday, Febuary 3, 2024, poses a formidable challenge for the South African team, and Vonk’s words serve as a reminder to approach the game with caution and respect for the opponent.
