23/01/2008 08:14

Accra - Bafana Bafana held their last training session on Tuesday ahead of the crucial Group D opener against Angola on Wednesday.

The game between the Southern Africans will be the second encounter in the impressive Tamale Stadium as the first match features 2004 African Champions and finalists in 2002, Senegal against Tunisia.

Brazilian coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira addressing the media after the session looked content with the preparations ahead of the game.

"Preparations have gone very well and we are all ready for the game. The boys have been doing well. I am happy with the sharpness of all the players. We are training well and things are looking good," he said with a smile.

"We have spoken to the players about the importance of doing well in the first game of the tournament, particularly in a group such as ours.

"It is not only the first game though; every game for us in the tournament is a final. The players are aware of this...they know they will have to give 100% in every game.

"As for the heat, we were expecting worse than it is now so I have not heard anyone complaining since our arrival. We are still expecting things to get worse in the next couple of days" Parreira added.

Warm-up game

South Africans will be looking to Bafana skipper, Aaron Mokoena to lead the boys with distinction. He will also be looking at proving the doubting Thomas? that he can do the job in what some people has seen as an unfamiliar position for him in the middle.

Mokoena also poured water on suggestions that he is not ready to play on Wednesday because of the injury he sustained against Botswana in the warm-up game in Durban.

"I am fit and ready to play" says the man nicknamed, "Mbazo".

"We are all looking forward taking on Angola on Wednesday. Preparations have gone well and there is nothing to complain about. Even the younger guys in the team are looking forward having a good tournament in Ghana.

"I know only a couple of players in their team and more than that, I do not know much about Angolans. I know that we need to look out for Flavio, but what will win us the game is scoring goals," he says.

Bafana, despite scoring four goals in their last two games, have been missing to many chances but the captain believes the guys will get it right today.

"It is a concern when we miss chances at training. The coach has been working very hard in ensuring that we convert as many chances as we can. The guys can miss or score during training sessions, but its goals during the game that count. We need to get that right on Wednesday," he adds.