Group C: Tau confident South Africa can overtake Ghana

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Forward Percy Tau believes South Africa have the ability to win both their remaining Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and so finish top of Group C.

Three teams in the group can still qualify, with Sudan’s six points three fewer than the tallies of both Bafana Bafana and Ghana, with the leaders meeting next time out in South Africa.

A win at home against the Black Stars followed by a point away in Sudan would ensure the 1996 African champions finish top, and so secure a better seeding in next year’s finals.

“If we do the things we plan well, I think we are capable of winning both games,” Tau told BBC Sport Africa.

“We just have to do what we have to do and also put ourselves in a better position at home but we can still try something away. I am confident with the group we have the guys can always win games if we play well.”

The Johannesburg clash against four-time African champions Ghana could well be definitive for Tau and his colleagues, since they face a tricky trip to Sudan for their final qualifier at the end of March.

Victory away to Sao Tome next time out for the Sudanese – bidding for a first finals in a decade – will put them right in the mix, whatever the result between South Africa and Ghana, ahead of their home game with Bafana Bafana.

Sudan at home will be no pushovers, says former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani.

“In their backyard it is very tough – it is a very hostile place,” Zakuani told a BBC Sport Africa TV special programme focussing on this month’s qualifiers.

“People make it very difficult for you so when you go there, it is more of a mental battle. Bafana Bafana will fancy their chances because they have more quality on paper but just the environment of Sudan will make it more difficult.

“It’ll be a very tough game.”

• Watch: BBC Sport Africa on this month’s crunch qualifiers
• Group D: Jagne’s bitter-sweet Gambia dream
• Group E: Berahino – Burundi qualification ‘no fluke’
• Group F: Tuyisenge – ‘no easy task’ for Rwanda
• Group G: Bakari: Comoros qualification would be ‘magical’
• Group H: Besenbaini – Algeria ‘hungry’ for third title
• Group I: Diouf – ‘Senegal need belief’
• Group J: Tanzani’s Msuva – ‘we need the fans’
• Group K: Madagascar wary of ‘frustrating’ Ethiopia
• Group L: ‘Nigeria won’t win 2021 Africa Cup of Nations’

Speaking ahead of the decisive Nations Cup qualifiers, Tau also used the interview to back calls for more Bafana Bafana internationals to play their league football in Europe.

Both Keagan Dolly of Montpellier and Lebo Mothiba of Strasbourg have said more South Africans should leave the country’s domestic Premier Division, to help improve the national game.

“I share the same sentiment,” Brighton and Hove Albion forward Tau said.

“It would be great for the national team for us to have many players playing abroad. I’m not saying we should undermine our own league, but to have different leagues and different competitions would mean so much.

“To play in France, the English Premier League or Scotland, it would give the coach a great pool of players to choose from.”

Earlier this week, Caf’s new president Patrice Motsepe – who is also South African – expressed his desires to keep more African players on the continent in a bid to improve the standard of play.

“We need money to pay the players competitively because we will not be able to keep the best players in Africa in Africa – for the medium-to-long term – if we don’t compete,” the 59-year-old said.