South Africa’s coach Joel Santana will be under enormous pressure to produce a win when South Africa host Equatorial Guinea in a World/Nations Cup qualifier at the Super Stadium in Atteridgeville on Saturday.

Santana’s first match in charge saw Bafana Bafana produce a dismal performance against Nigeria and the new coach has spoken about changing things up this weekend and he can do no worse than calling on some of the Amakhosi players in his squad.

Itumeleng Khune is set to replace Rowen Fernandez in goal and could provide the much needed confidence the defence will be looking for. As Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season, Khune is a great shot stopper and will control his defence with an iron fist during set pieces and open play.

With Santana placing all emphasis on attack for the game against Equatorial Guinea it is extremely likely, and probably deserved, that Simphiwe Tshabalala will get a call up in order to produce some much needed pace down the wings and an added threat in attack. Tshabalala also got his one and only goal for Bafana Bafana at the Super Stadium, when South Africa beat Paraguay 3-0 in March.

It is vital that South Africa qualify for the African Cup of Nations in Angola in 2010 and a victory on Saturday will go a long way to beginning that journey. The influx of key Chiefs players in the team is possibly the spark needed to change things and bring about South Africa’s, and coach Joel Santana’s, first victory in the qualifying rounds.