Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter has revealed that he had a cancer scare before the team's final Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya in March.
Bafana played Libya in Tunisia and registered a 2-1 victory to book their place in the 24-team competition which will be hosted by North Africans Egypt.
Asked how he is going to get his players to focus after the recent explotion in Egypt – the hosts for this year's AFCON – Baxter spoke about how he had to deal with a cancer scare before the game against Libya and got through it.
"We can go anywhere today. My family lives in probably one of the most civilised where you think things are so easy going. Not less than a month ago, in a little sleepy village, someone was decapitated. That can frighten the living daylight out of you and I can sell my house, but unfortunately we are living in that world.
"l'll tell you this, but I don't think I should. Before we went to [play] Libya the doctor told me that I've got cancer. I went to Tunisia and I said 'no I won't get tested, I've got a game to play'. I don't want that in my mind, [but it's] bloody difficult trying to coach a team thinking that I've got cancer. I got back and did the test and it was okay. But we have to deal with those things. I dealt with it and the lads will have to deal with it."