Former Bafana Bafana striker, Philemona Masinga told the Siya crew that he has faith in coach Gordon Igesund and his players, and talked to the crew ahead of the Chan 2014 opening game against neighbours, Mozambique.

Affectionately known as ‘Chippa’, in football circles, the former Bafana striker said he believes the national team has an opportunity to win the tournament as the coach selected the strongest squad.

"I know that most of our players in the national team are playing in the PSL and we have less players abroad so that gives us the edge over our opponents. GI has selected the best players and I believe we stand a chance of winning this one," said Masinga.

"We must not take the games lightly though because Nigeria has qualified for the 2014 World Cup, so their players will want to impress the coach, we must be cautious against them.

"On the other hand, FIFA confirmed that they’ll be ranking the tournaments’ games, I think that’s a motivating factor.

"We as South Africans must look at the bigger picture than to look at the present. Having said that, I’ve always been a supporter of Gordon, he is a good coach and I want to wish him the best of luck with the boys.

"I know it won’t be easy for him if he doesn’t reach the semis, but the nation is fully behind him, he must just ensure they win the first game."

The game is scheduled for 18h00 at the Cape Town stadium on Saturday.