Interim Zimbabwe boss Jairos Tapera has outlined the reasons as to why his side should not be "bullied" by Bafana Bafana this week.
The two nations will do battle in a crunch 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, with the Warriors coming off of a surprise 2-0 defeat to Lesotho, while Hugo Broos' South Africa were held to a 1-1 draw with Nigeria on Friday.
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The latest round of results have left Zimbabwe at the bottom of Group C, while Bafana are in fourth place and will thus be looking for a victory to bolster their chances of qualifying for the global showpiece set to take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Tapera, however, believes his side can go into the match with confidence, given the condition and quality of his players.
"We have been in South Africa for long enough and we have fully acclimatised to the conditions here, and there is no reason why we should be bullied in the field of play," the interim boss said, per the Herald.
"We have quality players coming from all over the world, and that gives us wings going into the showdown against South Africa.
"We are in good condition and we should fully focus when we troop into the field of play against Bafana Bafana."
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Reflecting on the defeat to Lesotho, Tapera expressed his disappointment with the result, but added that the side "can't continue to cry over spilt milk with the battle against South Africa beckoning".
The manager went on to state that he will be altering the team heading into Tuesday's big clash at the Toyota Stadium.
"We will need to play around the squad and certainly, we will make some changes," the former Yadah FC coach said.
"If you look at different areas in the field of play, judging from the manner with which we played against Lesotho, you will see that we really need to tinker with the team a bit.
"The changes won't be wholesale, though, but we definitely need to do so. All the players are doing well and everyone is eager to perform to the best of their abilities and that is a healthy situation to have in the camp.
"Everyone is motivated and we will see how we come up with the changes when we face South Africa."
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