afcon

There are no easy matches in international football anymore, Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba warned after Wednesday's draw for the 2017 Orange Cup of Nations. Here is the full draw for the tournament, which kicks off in June.

Despite starting out strong, Bafana Bafana squandered their last chance to make it into the final eight of the 2015 African Cup of Nations tournament when they lost 2-1 to Ghana's Black Stars in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday night.

The South Africans suffered a 3-1 defeat against Algeria in their opening African Cup of Nations Group C clash in Mongomo, Equitorial Guinea, on Monday night.

Bafana Bafana are on the up, once again wearing the badge with pride. One day we're likely to talk about this group of players with the same reverence as our legendary heroes – Steve "Kalamazoo" Mokone, Pule "Ace" Ntsoelengoe, Jomo Sono and Kaizer Motaung.

With South Africa at 14/1 favourites to win the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, they certainly stand out as the wild cards of the event. They are placed in the tournament’s group of death, with Ghana, Senegal and Algeria having better odds of winning the tournament. We analyse Bafana Bafana and their chances of bringing home the cup.

Bafana Bafana head coach Shakes Mashaba has declared himself happy with the team's preparations ahead of the 30th edition of the African Nations Cup, which starts in Equatorial Guinea on Saturday.

It is said the first football landed in Africa with David Livingstone. Since then, Africa has become truly passionate about football. The continent has produced a host of world-class players, from Liberia's George Weah to the mighty Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o.

Sibusiso Vilakazi's second-half goal earned an inspired Bafana Bafana a 1-1 draw with Cameroon in an international friendly at the Stade de l'Amitie in Libreville this weekend - a performance coach Shakes Mashaba believes is an indicator of what we can expect from the Afcon tournament, which kicks off on Saturday.

Expect the Africa Cup of Nations to be one of the most exciting tournaments ever as the continent brings its carefree, buccaneering style to the beautiful game. The old guard has stepped down and the two most successful teams are out – leaving the field wide open for new stars to be made.

The Bafana winger says South Africa are no underdogs as the team arrives in Gabon to continue their preparations ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in Equatorial Guinea on 17 January.