Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena has disclosed what he is concerned about ahead of their AFCON Round of 16 tie against Cameroon at Agdal Medina Stadium in Rabat tonight.
Hugo Broos’ charges are set to lock horns with the Indomitable Lions this evening, with the kick-off set for 21:00 [SA time].
Mokoena has played in all three matches [full 90 minutes] in the group stage phase, helping Bafana finish second in Group B with six points after three games.
‘Tebza’, as he is affectionately known, is expected to feature against the David Pagou-coached side and guide Bafana to the promised land [AFCON quarter-finals].
‘I’M NOT REALLY BOTHERED ABOUT MY PERFORMANCE’: TEBOHO MOKOENA
The Mamelodi Sundowns star stated that he is not concerned about his individual performances, which many South African football fans have scrutinised since the AFCON tournament began, but he expressed worry about how the team will perform together on the day.
“For me, I’m not really bothered about my performance. However, I’m really concerned about what we do as a team, not what I do as an individual, because what we do as a team is more important than what I do as an individual,” said Mokoena.
“But the level has now gone high; the teams are focused, and you can see that everyone wants to win this AFCON. For us, it’s our goal to win this AFCON, and there is no backing down. So, we have to fight till the end.
“When I look at the 2023 AFCON and the 2025 tournament, the difference is that the big teams have realized that they made mistakes in 2023. They didn’t perform well because, if you check, in 2023, most teams that participated in the knockout stages were mostly small nations.
“So, we had a chat with the coach. He told us that the same teams we beat in the last AFCON won’t make the same mistakes again now. For instance, he gave an example about Morocco, and now the level is higher.”
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