New Libya coach Adel Amrouche has praised the quality of South African footballers‚ describing them as the best on the continent.
But Amrouche is still determined to shake up Bafana Bafana when the two countries meet in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier in Durban on Saturday.
“I know Bafana Bafana very well‚" he told TimesLIVE.
"Each coach who has been in charge of SA has come with his own philosophy.
"When the Brazilian was there (Carlos Alberto Parreira) there was one kind of football‚ when (Pitso) Mosimane was there then they played another style and now with (Stuart) Baxter‚ it is different again.
"But the quality of the players remains the same.
"With South African players‚ who are always getting creative football and I think for me‚ in terms of African football‚ they have the best quality of individual players.
“Baxter likes to play on the counter and they can score every time.
"South African football has everything but‚ yes‚ they don’t have a special striker who can finish off the chances.
"There are great wingers‚ midfielders‚ defenders who come forward at set pieces in the South African team.
"But let’s be realistic‚ in Africa there are only five or six proper strikers in all Africa.
“This is because the whole philosophy around the way the game is played in Africa has changed.
"Coaches now close the spaces to play‚ defence is so much better.
"The mentality of the game in Africa has changed and the focus is now much more on tactics. It has taken the place of creativity and technical skill.
“But South Africa is a special team. They are unpredictable. South African players have that individual creativity that can make a difference in a game‚ with their skill.”
Amrouche will have a plan‚ however‚ to nullify those positives at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at the weekend.
Libya are underdogs in a group where the top two finishers qualify for next year’s finals in Cameroon but the north Africans must get past at least one of Nigeria or South Africa and Amrouche wants to upset the odds.
