The national Under-20s kick-start their campaign on Monday against Ghana in Saly, a tourist resort hub, then play Mali on Thursday before rounding off their group stage assignments against Zambia on Sunday in Dakar.
“By the time we travel to Dakar for our last match against Zambia, we should know where we stand and I honestly hope that we would have sealed our spot to the World Cup in New Zealand,” says Modjeka, who was named Best Defender at the Commonwealth tournament in Russia last January.
“There is this rivalry developing between Ghana and South Africa. We know what happened at the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, and it would be nice to get even on Monday.
“It won’t be easy considering the Ghanaians’ reputation in junior tournaments, but if we want to be the best on the continent and even the world, we should stand up against the so-called giants.”
These sentiments were echoed by coach Thabo Senong, who added: “When you go to war, the last thing you want to happen to the soldiers is getting distracted. We are so focused we can’t wait for the kick off and get this anxiety off us.”
Vice-captain Ayabulela Magqwaka says the boys are very eager to start the tournament.
“This is what we are here for; we are not here for some holiday. We know the entire nation will be watching or following our progress and it would be nice to put a smile on people’s faces. It is just a feel-good thing to do,” he says.
Midfielder-cum-striker Pule Maraisane, who was voted the Best Player at the Commonwealth tournament, says while soccer is a team sport, he would love to leave a lasting impression at this tournament.
“It would be nice to cap a good individual performance by helping the team qualify for the World Cup and even win the tournament itself.
“It is always nice to aim high when you want to do well. We have the measure of all teams in this tournament and I don’t see why we should not go all the way.”