Thabo Mngomeni, scorer of the brilliant bicycle kick strike that earned him the CAF Goal of the Year award back in 2001, has come out in support of Bafana Bafana's chances of winning next year's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Bafana concluded the 2025 AFCON qualifiers on a high note by defeating the already-eliminated South Sudan 3-0 at DHL Stadium on Tuesday.
This victory allowed the team, coached by Hugo Broos, to finish in first place in Group K.
READ: 'It's a fantastic year' - Broos hails Bafana's exploits
Despite a trophy drought that has lasted 28 years, Mngomeni is optimistic.
"We will win the AFCON next year, but only if we continue playing as we have been," says the former Orlando Pirates midfield kingpin, speaking to KickOff.com.
"We shouldn't change our playing style or approach. I believe we have a great chance of winning the next AFCON.
"However, we must remember that other countries are also busy preparing.
"Our success will largely depend on our players. Bafana Bafana performed well against South Sudan, dominating the game from start to finish, which is exactly what we want for the team.
"South Sudan attempted to catch us on counter-attacks, but that strategy backfired," he continued.
Mngomeni believes Bafana put the visitors under so much pressure throughout the match and never allowed them to breathe.
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"South Sudan can't be blamed, it's not easy to face a team that applies constant pressure for 90 minutes. They chose to sit back and play on the counter because they were aware of how comfortable South Africa was on the ball. That was the only way to handle a team that kept attacking.
"On the day, we were just too hot to handle."
Next year's Africa Cup of Nations runs from 21 December - 18 January.