Bafana have played in front of huge crowds in their last two matches – against Cape Verde and Angola in Johannesburg and Durban – and Mahlangu says he was thoroughly impressed by the unwavering support.
The last group stage clash against Morocco on Sunday, also in Durban, is sold out, setting the tone for a carnival atmosphere again.
MM: The sold out sign shows that people have seen what we are capable of and they believe in us. As a team we can only say ‘thank you very much,’ and they must continue supporting us because they are a driving force behind us. We are playing at home and it’s so inspiring as a player when you see so much support for the team, even when we are down. They really motivate us not to give up, it’s a privilege to have them on our side.
MM: It’s a great experience and I am really enjoying myself. I just hope we continue to grow as a team because it means a lot to be playing in this tournament. It’s a great honour to be among the 23 players chosen to represent your country in such an event. It also shows that we are all special in our own different ways. Now what we need to do is to repay the coach and the public by playing good football and making our country proud.
MM: I think it was a very good game, I was very happy with the overall performance of the team; we really wanted to win the game. We were ready to die on the field for the nation, and we are glad things just fell into place.
MM: It meant a lot to us and to the country more so because things hadn’t been going well for us. I am happy that we won the game and brought the support back. We showed the public that we can still do it; we showed them that nothing is impossible.
MM: They are very good side and have a good football history, they are also very organised but we will do our best to unlock them and try to score goals. I believe we are ready for them. It is going to be very important for us to go out there and play good football. We are confident enough that we can do well against them.
MM: Let us not look too far but take each game as it comes. The target now is to reach the quarter-finals and after that anything can happen. We are confident that we can go far, we just have to be positive and see where we end up. Like I said, anything is possible if you keep working hard, if you keep pushing yourself to reach greater heights, nothing can stop you. For all the 23 players here, there’s no greater motivation than playing for your country and that makes you want to work even harder.