?Our confidence will sky-rocket?

Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana squad is immensely motivated ahead of their clash against Egypt.

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Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana are already surging through the ranks of the continental game, as they bid to regain a place among the greats on the African continent.

A highly confident and immensely motivated squad has gathered in sunny Rustenburg this week, with the side top of Group G and well on the way to qualifying for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals.

Yet, what Mosimane and Bafana have achieved thus far will pale into relative insignificance if they can go to fortress Cairo and take down the Pharaohs of Egypt on June 5.

Egypt are bottom of Group G and already lost to Bafana for the first time in a competitive match in Johannesburg at the end of March.

But in the Egyptian capital, very few sides get out with any sort of result.

“If we beat Egypt in Cairo, I think our confidence will sky-rocket for next year,” said striker Bernard Parker on Tuesday.

“Egypt are the champions of Africa and it will provide a massive boost going into the Nations Cup finals.”

Parker, now 25, made his Bafana debut in 2007, and, after falling out of favour a little under Carlos Alberto Parreira, has now cemented his place in the starting line-up again under Mosimane.

Parker has had a lot more time on the field at club level this year, since his move on loan from FC Twente to Greek side Panserraikos.

Panserraikos ultimately finished rock bottom of the Super League, but Parker impressed in his time at the club.

“The season in Greece was good,” he said on Tuesday.

“I played 90-percent of the games and I did well.

“There is interest from two of the big clubs in Greece, and it has boosted my confidence.”

“The likelihood is he won’t be at FC Twente next season,” added Parker’s agent, Mike Makaab.

“He has to go there for pre-season, it’s in his contract, but he probably won’t be there.”

Parker finally broke his scoring duck for Panserraikos on March 20, when he netted in a 3-1 defeat at Aris Salonika.

But the former Benoni Premier United man was used by the Greek club more in an attacking midfield role than up front.

And it is also his versatility that has kept Parker firmly in Mosimane’s starting eleven, despite a consistent lack of goals, following a flurry of strikes in the early stages of his Bafana career.

Parker epitomises the team player in the modern game, perfectly understanding the need for attacking players to defend as well as go forward.

“In today’s football you have to be behind the ball most of the time, helping the team.

“The strikers are the first line of defence. That is why we are doing well with Bafana, as the front-runners are alsodefending. We have been defending well and getting positive results.”

Bafana, indeed, have yet to concede a goal in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers.

In an attacking sense, however, there is still plenty of work to be done, with Bafana perhaps a little fortunate to find a last-gasp winner against Egypt in Johannesburg.

“It was difficult to break down their defence, they covered well. It was tough for me and (Katlego) Mphela to break them down. We managed to get a few chances, and eventually Mphela scored.

“This is only the second day at camp, and we don’t know yet what the plan is of how we are going to solve that.”

To Bafana’s advantage, Egypt will have to go for broke in Cairo, which may give the South Africans more space to exploit than they had at home.

“ They are desperate to win, and I’m sure they’ll open up against us. But we know what to expect. We’ve been together a long time and are linking well as a team,” said Parker. - The Star

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/our-confidence-will-sky-rocket-1.1073513

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