Radebe: Bafana can qualify for Afcon

FORMER Bafana Bafana skipper Lucas Radebe has expressed confidence in the national team's chances of qualifying for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) to be held in Ivory Coast.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) conducted the draw for the qualifiers on Tuesday night and South Africa were drawn in a somewhat tricky Group K involving Morocco, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

Radebe, who was also a part of the draw alongside Ivorian Salomon

Kalou, expressed his optimism about Hugo Broos's team.

The former Leeds United captain highlighted the need for Bafana to pay special attention to North African giants Morocco, who were knocked out of the quarter-final stage by eventual finalists Egypt at the last showpiece.

“I'm very confident, I think we are capable of qualifying for Afcon but I think it's very important that we beat Morocco because I think we have enough to deal with our neighbours, Zimbabwe,” he said.

Morocco are ranked second on the continent according to the latest Fifa rankings and the next closest team in group K is South Africa in 13th place.

Although with an Afcon crown to their name, Bafana have missed on Afcon qualification five times since Tunisia 1994, having also also missed out on the 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2021 editions of the continent's biggest football competition.

Having fumbled qualification to this year's World Cup, coach Broos still has a point to prove among South African football fans.

The Belgian will be very confident going into this set of qualifiers having previously qualified for and won an Afcon trophy with Cameroon.