Harambee Stars got their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign off to a disappointing start after failing to beat Eritrea at home before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Serhou Guirassy-led Guinea.The 1-1 draw against lowly-ranked Eritrea, followed by the defeat to Guinea, were far from the results Kenya had hoped for as they prepare for their biggest test in Group D: a double-header against South Africa.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsStars are set to take on the high-flying Bafana Bafana in a two-legged qualifier, with the first leg scheduled for Friday, 13 November, before hosting the return fixture in Nairobi two days later.Despite Kenya's recent struggles, underwhelming performances in competitive matches as well as the never-ending internal money-related issues, striker Kelvin Etemesi remains confident that the team has what it takes to bring down the African football giant.##NAJAVA_MECA_10077468##Unlike other pundits and observers, Etemesi speaks from a position of first-hand knowledge, as he plies his trade in the South African Premier Soccer League, where he is currently attached to Marumo Gallants.Of the 38 players named in South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane's provisional squad for the double-header against Kenya, Etemesi is familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of at least 25, all of whom ply their trade in the domestic league.Etemesi, who joined Marumo Gallants from KCB FC ahead of the start of the season, believes Benni McCarthy will comfortably get the better of his compatriot, Mosimane, in the tactical battle, potentially derailing South Africa's bid to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.Harambee Stars winger features in Spain as Anyembe is benched in DenmarkThis will only come to pass if Stars deny Bafana Bafana time and space on the ball in midfield.Etemesi notes that he has observed South Africa's tendency to move the ball quickly, exploit even the smallest pockets of space and put opponents under pressure through their high-tempo approach.“I have watched a couple of their matches, and their style is not very different from that of their local teams. Generally, South African sides, including the national team, move the ball much faster. This contrasts with our approach, as we tend to be slower in our build-up play. They are particularly good at progressing the ball through midfield, where every inch of space counts. We can beat them if we deny them space in that area,” he said.When denied space in midfield, Etemesi revealed, South Africa tend to resort to diagonal balls aimed at their pacey wingers.Recovering Harambee Stars striker suffers fresh injury setback in EuropeTo counter this threat, he urged Kenyan full-backs to remain alert, track the wingers' movements and, where possible, employ double-marking to limit their impact.“If you minimise the space available to them, they tend to resort to long diagonal balls towards their wingers. While dealing with such balls may be relatively easier, their wingers are equally good at receiving them and cutting inside. Our full-backs must remain alert throughout,” he remarked.However, remaining compact in midfield and staying alert to South Africa's wing play will not be enough.The former Nairobi City Stars forward also advocates an aggressive pressing approach targeting Bafana Bafana's back line and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.Government responds to claims that Bayern Munich, Ajax will field junior teams in NairobiThe experienced shot-stopper, who also captains the national team, is widely regarded as one of the continent's finest ball-playing goalkeepers.His ability to read the game, break opposition presses with incisive passes and quickly launch attacks makes him a key outlet in South Africa's build-up play and a potential threat to opponents.“Their goalkeeper and backline are always comfortable on the ball. This means our forwards must press aggressively to force them into mistakes or prevent them from progressing the ball comfortably. Overall, with good organisation, South Africa are beatable,” added the former Westlands Youth Sports Association (WYSA) player.
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