7 February 2019 – Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter on Thursday, 7 February 2019 briefed members of the media on plans and challenges ahead of the crucial match against Libya on 22 March 2019 in Tunisia.

The South Africa Senior Men’s National Team faces the North Africans needing only a draw to book their place in the 2019 AFCON championships in Egypt in June this year.

Bafana lie second to Nigeria in their Group, two points ahead of Libya with two teams assured of a place in the biennial competition.

Baxter thanked the National Soccer League (NSL) for going out of their way to accommodate the national team by moving some of their games ahead of this crucial match.

He said the gesture by the NSL would allow Bafana Bafana to have ample time to prepare for this do-or-die encounter.

“This is a massive game for South African football in general. This is not about me or my personality, this match is about South Africa,” said Baxter to the media who mostly comprised Sports Editors of the mainstream media.

Accompanied by SAFA’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Thulani Ngwenya, the Bafana Bafana coach said he was confident if things go according to plan, the team should come up triumphant in this match.

“If we have self-belief, play according to our potential, we have every reason to pull out the desired result,” he said adding that the team had more reason to be optimistic than pessimistic.