For more football we turn to the bid to reach the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations where South Africa face Nigeria this weekend in group, needing to win to stand any chance of qualifying. CGTN's Sias du Plessis explains why Bafana Bafana may be missing out on the continental tournament for a second-straight time.

South Africa have not made life easy for themselves, in fact, they have made it extremely tough, now with several stalwarts missing, Stuart Baxter has had to pick a squad he feels can stand up to the pressure and not crumble against the team that has beaten them in 7 of the last 13 encounters.

STUART BAXTER SOUTH AFRICA COACH "I fear the fact that we don't believe in ourselves enough, I fear the fact that we come off the field and we've gone into our shell and allowed them to walk over us, that's what I fear, I don't fear Nigeria, I respect Nigeria and I respect their quality."

The national coach believes that the Super Eagles will struggle with the altitude at the FNB stadium and that their plan to arrive on the Friday before the game might come back to haunt them.

STUART BAXTER SOUTH AFRICA COACH "They're obviously coming in the day before to try and negate the effects of the altitude, my experience is that that's not so easy, we need to take every little bonus we can get, every little advantage we can get, the fact that they are thinking about coming in the day before the game means they are worried about it."

Bafana Bafana must win one of their last remaining AFCON qualifiers to secure their place at the tournament next year, but it isn't going to be that simple for the 1996 champions, who need to be at their best to see off either Nigeria in Johannesburg or Libya away next year to get the job done.

STUART BAXTER SOUTH AFRICA COACH "I don't want it to go to the last game. If it goes to the last game then everybody roll the sleeves up because that is where it is going to be, but we are going to make sure we do everything we can to not take it to the last game."

SIAS DU PLESSISJOHANNESBURG "Baxter's Bafana squad has been hampered by injuries, but the national coach believes he has picked a group of players that can get the job done against the Super Eagles and maintains that his charges will be prepared and won't go into the crucial encounter against the 3-time continental champions mentally beaten before they take to the pitch at Soccer City, Sias du Plessis, CGTN, Johannesburg."