Hugo Broos says Bafana Bafana “can still lose everything” as they prepare for their final Africa Cup of Nations group clash with Tunisia on Wednesday.
South Africa started their AFCON campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat Mali but responded with a resounding 4-0 hammering of neighbours Namibia.
They face a Tunisian side that narrowly lost 1-0 to Namibia but then managed to hold Mali to a 1-1 draw.
Heading into the midweek encounter, Broos, who has previously led Cameroon to an AFCON title, says Bafana must be ready for an improved Tunisian performance.
Bafana just need a draw at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly to progress to the knockout rounds, and Broos has warned against complacency.
He said in the Citizen: “It will be a very big mistake to feel comfortable.
“We have a difficult game to play and we can still lose everything. If we lose and Namibia plays a draw against Mali, we are out, so things can change. I told the players yesterday that this is a very odd AFCON, you can see this from the results.
“We need to look after ourselves and put in a good performance. If we can do that we will get a good result and move to the next round.”
South Africa could still progress even if they lose but will need Mali to beat Namibia in the other Group E match.
Broos added: “I know that Tunisia is a very good team. I saw the first game they played against Namibia. That was not the real Tunisia I know, I think they underestimated their opponent. I saw a strong Tunisia against Mali, they played a good game.
“They know what they have to do, they have to win. We will be prepared for that.”
