Soccer: South Africa face Ethiopia in key match on Sunday

football411.com

South Africa midfielder Oupa Manyisa has challenged Ethiopia to back-up their claims that they will walk all over Bafana Bafana on Sunday.

With two rounds of 2014 World Cup qualifiers remaining, Bafana’s trip to Addis Ababa at the weekend for their clash with Group A leaders, The Walia Antelopes, is a must-win encounter.

The Ethiopians are the front-runners in the race to book a ticket to Brazil, with Sewnet Bishaw’s men at the summit and two points ahead of the South Africans.

The two teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first-leg encounter last year in Rustenburg, with Katlego Mphela’s 77th-minute strike having cancelled out Saladin Said’s first-half opener.

Manyisa, who has of late delivered several composed performances for his country, is confident Gordon Igesund’s men can make their East African opponents eat humble pie.

“I read in some publications that Ethiopia is promising to stop us from getting a result against them, and that they will beat us and whatsoever, but I think they should wait for the match-day and try to talk on the field rather,” the Orlando Pirates’ link-man told the club’s official website.

“We have been in this game for a while and such talk does not move us. We know it will be tough; that is for sure but we know we can beat them.

“They are the Group leaders at the moment and I think they achieved that on merit, but to say we will not survive as if we were just any team, I don’t understand that.”

He added: “Let’s wait and see… we travel to Ethiopia on Friday – so far everything is good. We had a massive win in Central African Republic last Saturday, so we go to Addis Ababa with our morale boosted -Ethiopia can expect a tough challenge from us, that is for sure.”