Hosts South Africa will feel the pressure of a nation in front of a capacity crowd as they tackle war-torn Mali.

Gordon Igesund’s side hope to have Lehlo Majoro back fit after he missed the final group game through injury. Despite a subdued opening game, South Africa have played some fluent passing football since engineered by Oldham’s Dean Furman in the middle of the park.

The 1996 champions or West Africans will face a huge task in the semi-final against either Ivory Coast or Nigeria. Last time out the co-hosts of Gabo and Equatorial Guinea both went home at the quarter-finals stage. Can South Africa go one further?

Patrice Carteron’s Mali will be without suspended goalkeeper Mamadou Samassa, and will turn to last years number 1 in Soumayla Diakite. Whether Bordeaux target man Cheick Diabate returns remains to be seen, and if a clearly not fully fit Momo Sissoko featuresin central midfield.

By Matthew