Source: Team_Talk
Pienaar confident of World Cup success
South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar is "very confident" the host nation can reach the World Cup quarter-finals at the least this summer[LNB] Bafana Bafana kick off their campaign against Mexico on June 11 before further group games against Uruguay and France.[LNB]All three teams are ranked higher than South Africa by FIFA, but Pienaar is confident the hosts can upset the odds.[LNB]"I rate our chances of doing well in the tournament very high. In fact I am very confident that we will go further than the second round," the Everton midfielder said in Johannesburg today.[LNB]"We are definitely ready to go because the confidence is there, the spirit is there and I believe we will do well.[LNB]"The team has been doing well and I have been following their progress since they started with the training camps - Durban, Brazil and Germany - because I am part and parcel of the team even though I was not there. As for me, I am hopeful that I will get a chance to play against Colombia."[LNB]Pienaar was left on the bench in South Africa's 1-1 draw with Bulgaria on Monday. They take on Colombia on another friendly tomorrow in a warm-up for their tournament opener against Mexico.[LNB]"As an individual I have always believed in myself, and I hope in the national team I will carry on the way I finished the season at my club," he added.[LNB]"I know a few players of Colombia and it's going to be a big test for us, but I think the closer we get to the World Cup the better we play the likes of Colombia.[LNB]"They are very strong and have good players, and also the kind of football they play is South American - more like the Mexican way.[LNB]"So come June 11 we will be prepared, and we will play our kind of football so we not so worried about Mexico at the moment."[LNB]South Africa play another friendly against Guatemala next Monday.
