Bafana Bafana captain Thulani Hlatshwayo says being at the Africa Cup of Nations is no longer just about participating, but earning their place on the biggest stage in African football.
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Bafana progressed to the quarterfinals following a memorable 1-0 victory over hosts Egypt at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, causing arguably the biggest upset in the competition.
A lot more will be expected of the team as they take on Nigeria in the quarterfinals at the same venue on Wednesday night, but Hlatshwayo says whatever the outcome, this is a new era for Bafana where they can start competing in more major international tournaments.
"There's a lot of pressure on us to perform well, therefore it is our intention to do our best. It is no longer just about participating but about earning our place on the greatest stage in Africa.
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"Whatever the outcome, this is only the beginning for us. I believe that this is a new era and opportunity to do well and participate more in global football competitions. The hope for this tournament is to bring the confidence South Africans once had in us when the team won the tournament in 1996.
We want to keep the nation's faith in Bafana Bafana alive, for young boys to learn from our journey and see how important it is to not give up. To pursue their dreams no matter the failures, criticism and challenges. I hope our journey inspires South African heroics.
Hlatshwayo knows the game against the Super Eagles will be tough, but they'll give it their all to knock out another giant in African football.
"We've now made it into the AFCON quarter-finals for the sixth time in our history, this gives us an opportunity to really chase our dream to win. Our next game is against our biggest rival team, Nigeria," he said.
"We know playing them will be tough but we have a clear understanding of our mission, and we'll give it our all once again. This is an opportunity for us to regain trust from the fans, to truly discover our identity and have confidence in our capabilities. As captain, I'm confident in the team and what we can achieve."