Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter does not believe his team should be considered as one of the favourites for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations because they are still a side under ‘reconstruction’.

Baxter has helped turn things around for the South African national team after their failure to qualify for the 2017 Afcon and the 2018 Fifa World Cup with the side last losing a game in November 2017 when they were beaten 2-1 by Senegal.

Bafana thus qualified for the continental showdown without losing a game and extended their streak with a 0-0 draw with Ghana in a practice game on Saturday as they prepare for their first international tournament since 2015.

Speaking to media after the game, Baxter was asked if his side should be considered as one of the favourites for the competition. The British coach was quick to shut down any questions along that line.

‘No, not at all … This is a team in reconstruction,’ Baxter responded.

‘OK, tonight we haven’t lost again, and we haven’t lost for about a year and a half, so that’s encouraging. But to call us one of the favourites, that would be ridiculous.

‘I think you’ve got teams like Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, who will all feel like they’ve got a better chance than us,’ he added.

‘What we need to do is keep improving, play our game with confidence, and not show an exaggerated respect for everybody. We’ve got to go there believing we have a chance to win, and if you win a couple of games then suddenly the whole thing leads its own life,’ Baxter concluded.