PREVIEW: Helman Mkhalele wants ‘lots of goals’ as Bafana Bafana target Hollywoodbets COSAFA Cup Knockouts

The COSAFA Cup is underway in Gqeberha, with 12 teams battling it out for top honours in the 23^rd edition of the competition.

The time has come to separate the contenders from the contenders as teams make their final attempts to reach the next round.

South Africa will take on Eswatini in a crucial Group A match for both teams at the Nelson Mandela Stadium on Tuesday at 3pm.

Home team Bafana have so far failed to get going at full speed, with both group games ending in a draw.

With Mozambique and Botswana undefeated, they find themselves in a difficult position where they may not progress to the knockout stages.

To avoid that embarrassing situation, Mkhalele must beat Eswatini, as another result may not be enough if one of the teams in the other Group A wins: Botswana or Mozambique.

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“Our plan to fight back in the game tomorrow (Tuesday) is to make sure we win our game because if we don’t win, all the results will send us home,” Mkhalele said.

“Because we may not know what will happen in the other match between Mozambique and Botswana. So we have to keep (our fate) in our own hands,” he said.

The coach said that they don’t just want to win the game, they also need to score a lot of goals, which is something they have struggled with during the tournament.

Bafana have scored just one goal, in the 1-1 draw against Mozambique, but Mkhalele has another ace up his sleeve.

“We have to do well against Eswatini by making sure we score more goals and don’t concede goals,” said Mkhalele.

“That’s because goal difference is a factor, so we have to try to score as many goals as possible.

“And to score so many goals, I think we need to increase our attacking power even more, especially to give (Thabang) Sibanyoni the support he needs up front, as he has won almost every high ball he has played.

“Now we need someone who can anticipate those high balls, use them effectively and make sure we score in those situations.”