Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi praises Bafana Bafana and Hugo Broos ahead of World Cup qualifier - 'One of the best teams in Africa with one of the shrewdest coaches around'

Lesotho head coach Leslie Notsi has said he is anticipating a tough 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa.

Bafana Bafana will host their opponents on March 21, and the coach has pointed out why the match is going to be a tough one.

South Africa face their neighbours with the hope of winning in order to increase their chances of ultimately topping Group C to earn an automatic World Cup slot.

Although Notsi is aware of how competitive South Africa are, he expects his team to give a fight against the 2010 World Cup hosts.

“I think this is a match that is highly anticipated by the supporters, as you know we are neighbouring countries, so it's not usual that we play often, and people are looking forward to the game, which we believe is going to be a very great encounter,” Notsi told CAFOnline.

“Playing one of the best teams in our region and in Africa as a whole, having some of the best-talented players with one of the shrewdest coaches around, so it's going to be a very tough encounter, which we believe we have to dig deep to put up a very good competitive game," he added.

Group C remains a tight pool given that Rwanda, South Africa, and Lesotho all have seven points from four games each. The winner between South Africa and Lesotho will earn points that could eventually prove crucial in the campaign.

Lesotho, who are yet to feature at the global showpiece, hope to win or draw to avoid a second straight loss after going down 1-0 to Rwanda in their last qualifier.

Although Broos has been forced to make changes to his squad owing to various reasons, he hopes the available players will do the duty competitively and register a victory at home.

Kaizer Chiefs' Rushwin Dortley and Orlando Pirates Patrick Maswanganyi have been ruled out by injuries. Mamelodi Sundowns' Aubrey Modiba will not be available for the former African champions owing to a family matter.

After the Lesotho game at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, South Africa will travel to Ivory Coast for their match against Benin on March 25. Lesotho will face Rwanda on the same day.