Pretoria — South Africa are hoping to be able to outwit and outfox an expected tough physical challenge from Uruguay when they meet in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The Group A match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium is pivotal to both teams' hopes of advancing into the next phase of the World Cup and promises to be a contest between the slick passing game of the host nation and the structured and robust approach of the South Americans.
Uruguay will have three centre backs in place to deal with the home team's attack, where again Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will deploy Katlego Mphela upfront on his own but look to Steven Pienaar, Teko Modise and Siphiwe Tshabalala to come bursting through from the middle.
Modise has predicted a home win while Tshabalala is brimming with confidence after a man-of-the-match performance in the opening game of the World Cup against Mexico last Friday.
Uruguay's defensive nous was evident in holding off France in their opening match in Cape Town, also last Friday, and there were also several good indicators of their ability upfront, especially on the counterattack.
In Diego Forlan, who won the UEFA Europa League for Spain's Atletico Madrid last month, and Dutch-based Luis Suarez, they have two of the more exciting strikers on the world circuit.
But most of the focus at Loftus Versfeld will be on the home side. By their own admission they were a bundle of nerves in the opening exchanges of the game against Mexico, but after a 1-1 draw they now have a distinct swagger about them.
Confidence will be key for Bafana Bafana, whose hopes of progress to the knockout round effectively rest on beating their South American opponents. Uruguay are equally dependent on picking up points in this match.
Parreira has predicted that a total of four points from three games might be enough to see Bafana Bafana through, and points to Uruguay as the win his team need to reach that target.
There will be just one change in the Bafana Bafana side, with Tsepo Masilela in for Lucas Thwala at left back.
Uruguay will likely field an unchanged line-up from the side that drew 0-0 with the French in Cape Town.
