South Africa's injury blow to Thapelo Maseko could be to their benefit, as Bafana legend Andre Arendse has suggested tactics for Hugo Broos against Nigeria.
The fears of the nation has become a reality after Maseko appeared to have pulled his hamstring after coming on a substitute against Cape Verde in the quarter-finals, as Broos confirmed that Mamelodi Sundowns winger's tournament is over after he picked up a muscle injury.
The 20-year-old has been a first-choice substitute for the Belgian in all the games since his surprise start in the first game of the tournament against Mali.
The former SuperSport United forward's pace upfront has been one of the weapons for Bafana from the bench, as Broos has preferred wing play mostly in the competition, with talisman Percy Tau having to adapt to this way of stretching the pitch, which has brought results for South Africa.
However, against Nigeria in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening, Bafana may not need to play on counter-attacks much, according to Arendse.
Arendse, who was in goal when Bafana won the 1996 edition of Afcon on home soil, says given the Super Eagles' burst of pace, South Africa would have to play more their natural style of possession football and have midfielders who are capable of tracking back.
"When you talk about the likes of (Alex) Iwobi, these are guys riddled with talent, so you have to be careful. When you look at players like (Ademola) Lookman as well, they can boss the midfield but also join the attack, that's going to be critical," Arendse said on Newzroom Afrika.
"So you gonna need to have players in midfield tracking back. I think our strength is in possession football, we've proved that throughout the tournament.
"When you look at the power that this Nigerian team possesses from an individual perspective, the longer we keep possession and the longer we keep the ball away from them, I think we'll hurt them, I think we'll create opportunities," he said.
One of Bafana's strengths in the tournament has been in defence and Broos could also have the option of playing Aubrey Modiba as a left winger and Terrence Mashego as a left-back at any stage during the game.
