Advantage Bafana Bafana? AFCON winner claims 'Angola and Egypt are not at their best' and warns Liverpool's Mo Salah 'wants to prove a point'

South Africa have been tipped to have a relatively easy group stage campaign in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper and 1996 African champion Roger de Sa believes the Pharaohs and the COSAFA rivals, Angola, are not particularly big threats for South Africa in Group B.

"I really believe that Angola and Egypt are not at their best at the moment. Angola are definitely not at their best. And also Zimbabwe, they used to be a hoodoo team for us… But I think in the last couple of encounters, they really struggled. We have really come a long way,” De Sa told FARPost.

“We should get six points out of those two games. Of course, there’s Mo Salah now wanting to prove a point. Egypt will always be a tough one… You might be at a stage where South Africa does not have to beat Egypt and can sort of coast through to the next round.

“I think Bafana Bafana have a realistic chance; I see a realistic chance to finish top two in the group and go through to the quarterfinals. Once you get to the knockout stages, it is a cup fixture. Anything can happen," he added.

“Firstly, going to Morocco, it is going to be a very, very good AFCON, with good hotels, good facilities, and probably good crowds as well. It’s looking like it will be one of the better AFCONs we’ve seen," De Sa concluded.

This AFCON edition is particularly important for Salah, as the Egyptian forward has been constantly reminded of his unsuccessful continental campaigns after his tirade against Liverpool.

Salah accused Liverpool of throwing him under when he was benched again, and his outrage against his employers has dominated the football headlines for days now.

“I can’t believe it; I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said.

“Now I’m sitting on the bench, and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.

“I got a lot of promises in the summer, and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can’t say they keep the promise. I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden, we don’t have any relationship. I don’t know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn’t want me in the club," he added.

“This club, I always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much; I always will. I called my mum yesterday — you guys didn’t know if I would start or not, but I knew."

Following his outburst, Salah was dropped from the squad for a Champions League clash with Inter Milan, as his main focus is on AFCON now.

Apart from the Salah-Liverpool fallout, back home, Broos has found himself in an equally difficult position. When he expressed his displeasure when Mbekezeli Mbokazi arrived late for AFCON preparation, the Belgian made comments on the player and his agent that have landed him under fire.

“So, I will have a chat with him after training. And I can assure you, he is a black guy, and he will get out of my room as a white guy. Because that I can’t accept. But I know why, I know why. Suddenly, Mboki is a star – he thinks he is a star!" the Belgian said.

“This is the attitude of a star, ‘I will decide when I come’. I will explain it to him. I’m very angry, very angry about his attitude."

Broos' comments have caused a stir, and the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is among the public entities that have criticised him.

“The reported comments, racially coded, derogatory, and gender-diminishing, cannot be dismissed as off-hand remarks,” read the UDM letter on Thursday.