Johannesburg — AFTER the ignominy of failing to qualify for the African Cup of Nations at the beginning of the year, Bafana Bafana will attempt to haul themselves on the road to redemption when they host little-known Niger in the must-win opening qualifying match of the 2012 continental showpiece at Mbombela Stadium tomorrow night.

Defeat or even a draw will not be an option as Bafana have to first win all their home matches to have a chance of qualifying for the next African Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

As only the group winners are guaranteed of qualifying for the 2012 tournament, Bafana's group rivals - Egypt, Sierra Leone and Niger - will all try to win their home matches and at least draw away.

Niger might be ranked 79 places below SA on the Fifa rankings - Bafana are now at 66th place - but coach Pitso Mosimane and his players insisted this week that there was too much at stake for anyone to disregard the threat posed by the West Africans.

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar said that while the visitors should initially be treated with caution, it was crucial for Bafana to get the qualifying programme off to a flying start.

"A lot of people think that this is going to be an easy game because not much is known about this team," Pienaar said yesterday.

"But the reality is anyone can beat anyone in international football. Our preparations have gone very well and the coach (Mosimane) has got his plan for the match."

Holland-based striker Bernard Parker said Mosimane had spent the past few days explaining the importance of this encounter as far tougher challenges are on the horizon during what is expected to be a taxing campaign.

"The coach has told us to take this qualifying campaign one game at a time," he said.

"We know that it is going to be tough and nobody in the team expects these qualifiers to be easy.

"But we are ready for the long haul and the coach has told us that it all begins tomorrow."

Bafana only left for Nelspruit yesterday afternoon and their final training session will be at the match venue - Mbombela - today.

Mosimane should be a bundle of nerves as his charges' performance will be used to judge whether the South African Football Association made the right decision in awarding him the job.

The coach himself said that Bafana's confidence-boosting win over Ghana in a friendly international last month was already forgotten and all eyes would be on his first official match in charge.

Pienaar said he anticipated Niger to adopt a defensive formation as they would consider it a major achievement if they manage to exit Nelspruit with an away point.

"If they do come and sit back we will have to be patient because the supporters will be on our case if we become restless."

Right-back Siboniso Gaxa is expected to start this one from the bench as he is far from full match fitness after a protracted wrangle with his former club Mamelodi Sundowns left him on the sidelines.

He boycotted training on a few occasions and this ultimately cost him pre-season training that would have given him match fitness.

Gaxa eventually got his wish to move away from Sundowns and signed a three-year deal this week with Belgium club Lierse.

He said yesterday he was well aware that he was lucky to get a call- up to Bafana without having played any matches at club level.

"I always thank God when it comes to such situations because it has been very tough for me," he said. "I have not played any games since the end of the 2010 World Cup in June and there were times when I sat on the bench at training."

BAFANA BAFANA SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates)

Defenders: Morgan Gould, Bongani Khumalo (both SuperSport United), Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Innocent Mdledle, Happy Jele (both Pirates), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth), Anele Ngconca (Genk), Keegan Ritchie (Moroka Swallows)

Midfielders: Daine Klate, Teko Modise, Andile Jali (all Pirates), Siphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe Letsholonyane (both Chiefs), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Thanduyise Khuboni (Arrows), Daylon Claasen (Lierse FC)

Strikers: Sthembiso Ngcobo (Chiefs), Katlego Mphela (Sundowns) and Bernard Parker (FC Twente) and Kermit Erasmus (SuperSport)