Three things to look out for when Bafana face Cape Verde

The set-piece specialists

This AFCON quarterfinal will feature two players who have scored in this tournament direct from a free kick. Bebe’s effort for Cape Verde to open the scoring against Mozambique in the group stages was a spectacular strike from 40 metres out.

Mokoena, meanwhile, curled a beauty into the top corner past Morocco goalkeeper Bono to set the seal on Bafana Bafana’s 2-0 win over Morocco in the last 16.

If either side gets a free kick in a dangerous position on Saturday, both goalkeepers had better be wide awake.

Percy Tau ‘s time to shine

Themba Zwane’s brilliance against Namibia dragged Bafana back into this Africa Cup of Nations, while Teboho Mokoena was outstanding against Morocco in the last 16. For Percy Tau, however, this has been a bit of a mixed tournament.

He did well to recover from a penalty miss against Mali to net Bafana’s opener from the spot against Namibia, but as Bafana’s most experienced forward (assuming Zwane is being classified as an attacking midfielder), he hasn’t really made enough of an impact up to now. Still, could this be the game in which Tau uleashes his true attacking qualities to spur Bafana into the AFCON semifinals?

Bafana need to work, work, work

Cape Verde are a supremely organised outfit, who haven’t lost a game in the tournament so far. They finished with seven points out of nine from a group containing Egypt and Ghana and kept their heads to squeeze past Mauritania in the last 16.

This is a team that has been slowly building into a force on the continent again, after the promise shown in 2013, the last time they reached the AFCON quarterfinals. They impressed at the finals two years ago in Cameroon, reaching the last 16, and have done so again here. This is a team that works for each other and knows how to win. If Bafana are to take them down they will have to keep up the energy that saw them blast Morocco out of the competition. There can be no letting up.