South Africa, Egypt’s next opponents in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers, are aware that reaching the continent’s premier tournament will not be easy.

The Bafana Bafana are looking to atone for a disappointing outcome of their World Cup participation last year when they finished third in Group A to become the first hosts to bow out at the first hurdle.

They made a fine start to their Nations Cup qualifying campaign, beating Niger and drawing with Sierra Leone to top Group G with four points, three ahead of bottom side Egypt, who are deemed their fiercest challenger.

African champions Egypt meet South Africa in a crucial encounter next month.

“I think that South Africa can do well at the tournament, but the problem is to qualify,” coach Pitso Mosimane, who succeeded Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira following the World Cup, said in an interview with FIFA.com.

“The qualifying groups are tough. There is no free lunch, and as an unseeded side, we always had the possibility of a tough team up against us.

“I accept that. We should write history now. No one has a free passage to the finals. And we must learn to overcome. I think that on the day, and if the team is playing to its full potential, we are capable of winning [the Nations Cup]. Why not?”

The winners of the 11 groups will qualify for the Nations Cup, which will be played in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

The best two runners-up will also secure passageto the tournament.