Bafana Bafana left back Innocent Maela believes his side are more than capable of defeating Morocco in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Thursday.

The South African national team and the Atlas Lions have both been drawn in Group K alongside Liberia, with Zimbabwe also in the group but they have since been suspended by Fifa and unable to compete.

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However, Maela is confident that Bafana have the quality to walk away with a positive result against the North African team.

“We know it [the match] will be difficult for us [to win in Morocco],” Maela told the Safa media department.

“We are up against quality opponents, and they are a very good team. We know that we are more than capable of winning the match and getting a favourable result here.

“We just have to be united and strong as a team, and things will go well for us on Thursday.

“The journey was difficult. The travelling was a lot, but fortunately for us, we are experienced in playing continental football.

“The first flight was a 10-hour trip and then we had to connect and wait for another hour at the airport. After that, it was another trip lasting seven hours and 30 minutes to where we are, and then a bus ride.

“These things excite us, and they challenge us. It is what we want so that we can grow. We can prove to ourselves that we can go through and overcome these challenges.”