SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Bafana Bafana (South Africa) confident of host country success in the World Cup

Record ID: 452696

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Bafana Bafana (South Africa) confident of host country success in the World Cup
  • Date: 8th June 2010
  • Summary: SUPPORTERS SINGING AND DANCING
  • Embargoed: 23rd June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6XMN53JXSC3CQK2DZGMY6I9O6
  • Story Text: South African soccer team, Bafana Bafana is entering the World Cup confident of success following an unbeaten run stretching back to last October.
    South Africa is entering the World Cup confident of success with an unbeaten run stretching back to last October creating a winning mentality in the squad, goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs said on Monday (June 7).
    The recent run has seen the host side transformed from a team given little chance of making it past the first round.
    "Before the World Cup started, when it was announced that we are going to host the World Cup, we as players felt as well that, you know, we are going to be competing in the World Cup, we are going to be competing, but as the confidence grew with our new coach that came in, the confidence grew, as we started to feel more confident: in the team, in our playing ability. And the mindset has changed to a stage where we want to win. We want to win now, we want to go to the finals of this competition, we want to succeed in this competition, and who knows we might go all the way, so that pressure is good, as a motivational pressure you know, we need that pressure you know," said Josephs.
    "Now we want to win, we want to get as far as we can go in this tournament," he said.
    South Africa, among the lowest ranked teams at the tournament, open the World Cup against Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Friday.
    "I think we are ready, we are excited...it is here now, and the people are excited" Josephs added.
    South Africa's win over Denmark in Pretoria in their last warm-up match on Saturday stretched to 12 their number of unbeaten games.
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