Now is the time for Bafana Bafana to show their worth

Bafana Bafana's chances of beating Ivory Coast, and probably of a successful 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), are likely to hinge on how their defence copes with a world-class frontline spearheaded by Lille star Nicolas Pépé tomorrow at Cairo's Al Salam Stadium.

Pépé, the 24-year-old Lille winger, scored 22 goals in 38 Ligue 1 games in 2018-19 to be a target of Bayern Munich for ?70m. He's the kind of predator who will take the type of chances a Bafana defence that conceded just two goals in the qualifiers, but lack pace, can offer up when they're nervous - a movie we've seen before at major tournaments.

 If Bafana put their attention on Pépé, Ivory Coast have Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha on the other flank. Ex-Manchester City forward Wilfried Bony is playing his fifth Nations Cup.

WORRYING THING ABOUT BAXTER

SA have had three weeks to study for the exam. They had better be well prepared by Stuart Baxter, because it's a tough one.

"We have looked at Pépé," midfielder Dean Furman said. "Again, you've got Pépé on one side, Zaha on the other. We're talking top players here. But that excites us.

"Names, once you're out there, mean nothing. That's got to be our attitude."

Perhaps the worrying thing about Baxter - and this appears to be the aspect of the technically solid coach that just seems to get under so many South Africans' skin - is his tendency to gripe. A lot.

It must rub off on his players. He sometimes just seems more concerned as a national coach - and it is not something he did much at Kaizer Chiefs, when he was winning a lot and more comfortable in himself - with talking down his team's chances because of factors against them.

This week he made a lot of the two friendlies - Safa could not organise a game in Johannesburg, and Angola pulled out on the day of a warm-up in Cairo - Bafana missed out on. It can come across as excuse-making in case of a defeat.

That's not exactly a brave-heart approach from the Scot. But even with just one friendly, last week's 0-0 draw against Ghana in Dubai, this has perhaps been one of the best Afcon build-ups by a Bafana team.

It is because of moving the tournament during the European and SA off-seasons. Nonetheless, how many SA coaches have had a three-week preparation to work with their squad for a Nations Cup?

A have had three weeks to study for the exam. They had better be well prepared by Stuart Baxter, because it's a tough one

And Baxter, unlike almost any Bafana coach in the last 10 years, has some scorers. Apart from Lebo Mothiba and Percy Tau, the SA players seem to have increasingly warmed to Lars Veldwijk.

"Our forward players are so exciting," Furman said. "There's so much speed, so much imagination. Our two out-and-out strikers, Mothiba and Lars, just want to score goals. They just want to get their toe on the end of a cross. They want to get a head, whatever part of the body, to make sure the ball goes in the back of the net.

"That complements our creators - [Sibusiso] Vilakazi, 'Mshishi' [Themba Zwane], Percy Tau, Lebo Maboe."

Maboe has pushed hard for a place in the starting line-up. If not, he can be a more than decent supersub.

Baxter's transition game is not popular with South Africans. But when it works, it can be effective, especially for an underdog team - and that is definitely what Bafana are here.

They need to replicate the best of Baxter's football - seen in their two best results of the qualifiers at the start and end of the campaign, the away wins against Nigeria and Libya.

If Bafana play with energy and pace, they will surprise Ivory Coast.

HOW THE SIDES GOT TO THE 2019 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS

BAFANA BAFANA

beat Nigeria 0-2 (away)

drew 0-0 Libya (home)

beat 6-0 Seychelles (h)

drew 0-0 Seychelles (a)

drew 1-1 Nigeria (h)

beat 1-2 Libya (a)

IVORY COAST

lost 2-3 Guinea (h)

beat 1-2 Rwanda (a)

beat 4-0 Central African Republic (h)

drew 0-0 Central African Republic (a)

drew 1-1 Guinea (a)

beat 3-0 Rwanda (h)