Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has opened up on his decision to make five changes against Liberia after securing their ticket to next year's Africa Cup of Nations.
Goals from Zakhele Lepasa and Mihlali Mayambela guided the South Africans to a 2-1 win and sealed qualification with a game to Spare in Group K.
Lepasa and Mayambela were also two of the five changes made by Broos, who feels his decisions paid off in the end.
Read | Bafana sink Liberia to secure AFCON ticket
"It was a very tough game we knew it, the way Liberia plays it's power play, not combination. I think we put the right players on the right place," Broos told SABC Sport.
"And I'm very proud the way they did it. They fought for it, I saw 90 minutes perseverance, I mean we scored two times. I think it was difficult but I think we deserve it.
"We knew, like I said it's power play how they play, from behind, the long ball and then they fight for it and I needed the guys who fight also," he said.
"And I think with Maela behind, with Sithole in midfield, Mayambela is a big guy with power, I think we could do something and we did it."
Broos, who won the 2016 AFCON with Cameroon, was reminded of his comments about failing to qualify and says the country can kill him if they don't make it out the group stages.
"That's what I meant at that moment, this is a country that normally should be every time at Afcon and I didn't understand why they didn't go the last years," he added.
"So it was very important, we have a young team and international games are important to have international experience and also going to the biggest tournament of Africa.
"So we did it now, we can only progress in the next ten months with opponents we can learn something and get ready for Afcon. I will say what I said in the beginning, 'you may kill me if we don't go to Afcon', I think you may kill me if we don't go through the stages in Afcon next year."
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