Following Bafana Bafana's impressive win over Morocco, former national team captain Dean Furman has snubbed South Africa as favourites to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, naming one of their arch-rivals as the top contenders instead.
Bafana advanced to quarter-finals of the tournament after beating Morocco 2-0 on Tuesday night.
The victory ensured back-to-back qualifications for the last eight of the competition for the South Africans, who will now take on Cape Verde at the Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro at 22:00 SA time on Saturday.
However, Furman, who has 58 caps for Bafana, has now revealed that he is not too confident about his nation defeating Cape Verde in the next round given the two sides' previous meetings.
Furthermore, the 35-year-old declared Nigeria as favourites to win the AFCON instead.
"I don't want to speak too soon because Cape Verde, we played them twice in 2017 in the World Cup qualifiers, we lost to them twice," Furman told the BBC World Service.
"2013 AFCON opening game at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, everyone expected us to win. It was a draw and if I’m honest, we should have lost that game so I'm not taking them lightly at all, it is going to be a very, very tough game but it is anyone's.
"The so-called big nations, the fancied nation Nigeria are going about their work in an understated fashion, but I think they are ticking on really nicely so I would have them down as the favourites right now."
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