Bafana Bafana face their first real test under new coach Pitso Mosimane when they play Group G dark horses Sierra Leone in Freetown in their second 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier next month.

Mosimane led Bafana to an easy 2-0 win over minnows Niger in their opening group clash played at Nelspruit's Mbombela Stadium last weekend. But after Sierra Leone stunned group favourites and defending African champions Egypt with a 1-1 draw in Cairo, Mosimane and Bafana are warned that they are heading for a tough 90 minutes in Freetown.

Mosimane predicted on Saturday night Sierra Leona could take a point off Egypt after his goal-shy Bafana wasted numerous chances to put Niger to the sword in a frustrating match where the home side totally outclassed Niger who look like being the group's whipping boys.

“It was actually Steven Pienaar (the Bafana vice captain) who said he hoped Egypt and Sierra Leone to draw and that was when I said it could happen.

"The fact players like Pienaar were hoping for a draw shows how serious they are taking the qualifiers. It is good to see that sort of commitment a senior player such as Pienaar and shows he is thinking ahead to the next game,” said Mosimane.

Mosimane said the biggest task ahead of him was getting Bafana mentally prepared for a difficult trip to the war ravaged Freetown where Bafana lost 1-0 last year in a 2010 Afcon qualifier.

Said Mosimane: “There are two ways of looking at the draw in Cairo. The first is positive in that we go to the top of the group two points ahead of both Egypt and Sierra Leone. It is now up to us to sustain that by getting a result in Freetown.

“The dark side is that Sierra Leone will be boosted by that result and fancy their chances of beating us in their backyard. They are a new side and are the dark horses in our group. Apart from getting the players mentally up for the challenge I need to be able to foresee what will transpire in Freetown."

Mosimane said getting to the Sierra Leone capital was a difficult journey. “The airport is on an island and we arrived early in the morning last year and had to travel to the hotel on a boat. Not the nicest way to get to a hotel in the early hours.”

But that was not the worst of Bafana's problems as explained by Mosimane: “The country has been through a terrible civil war and the evidence of that was bullet holes in our hotel walls. It was not an encouraging sight for young soccer players. But now that we have been there and know what to expect and we will be far better prepared this time.”

Mosimane said the Freetown pitch as not a major problem. “It is not a world class pitch like the FNB Stadium or Mbombela Stadium. But is not too bad.”

Mosimane will leave for Freetown at the last minute. “I am not going to risk bumpy training pitches there. I will do all my preparation at home.”