Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter believes Ivory Coast and Morocco will consider his side as dangerous at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Bafana were drawn in Group D for the competition with the two sides as well as unpredictable minnows Namibia.
Some have called the bracket the ‘group of death’ however Baxter has revealed his team will relish the challenge in Egypt.
The competition is set to begin on 21 June with Bafana’s first game against Les Elephants scheduled for 24 June at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo.
Baxter said: “The draw on the surface is not an easy one, it’s got two of the top nations on the continent and a local derby [with Namibia].
“I think other people have been looking at our group, thinking it’s a bit of a ‘Group of Death’, which is good for us because that means they rate us as a dangerous opponent.
“But at the same time as it’s a difficult group, I think it’s a great challenge and a good group for us in terms of what this squad needs at the moment, it needs this sort of challenge to know where they stand.
“This will be a great experience for the squad we’ve got at the moment, in their development, and it’s one that we can have a real go at without feeling any sort of inhibitions.
“There are other groups that, I would say, are easier, Group A and B, I think the top teams in their look more secure. I don’t think Morocco or Ivory Coast will feel secure.
“I think they will feel that we’re a dangerous opponent, in the same way I think Namibia, in the way they’ve qualified, will not be an easy target for anybody. So, in terms of the group, I think it’s a difficult one but a good one.”
