Teboho Mokoena and Stanton Fredericks were left out of the squad that will play in Blantyre on Saturday.

"Teboho is still struggling with an injury and we decided to only take 20 players to Malawi. Since the midfield consist out of nine players, the coach decided to cut one from their number and Stanton was thus dropped," Screamer Tshabalala, the team manager said before their departure.

Meanwhile, Shakes Mashaba, the Bafana coach said Malawi should not be underestimated. "Everybody thinks it is going to be an easy match. That will definitely not be the case.

Malawi would not have progressed to the final if they did not have the talent. They beat several of the top teams in the competition. We shall show them the necessary respect," Mashaba said.

However, this does not mean that South Africa would play defensively.

"We are going to play attacking soccer and definitely want to win. If it is a draw, we should preferably have scored a goal, because an away goal always helps, especially when we play the home game in Durban on 28 September."

Should both matches end in a draw, the away goal rule would determine the winner.

Only one overseas player, Thabang Molefe (SFK Lyn) was included in the squad. Mashaba earlier indicated that he would have liked to bolster the team with a couple more overseas players, but this proved impossible with the European season now in full swing.

Mashaba said he would need the experience of Molefe because the two South African club players in the Malawi side John Maduka (Bush Bucks) and Essau Kanyenda (Jomo Cosmos), could make matters difficult for the Bafana.

Kanyenda scored a hat-trick in Cosmos' 4-0 victory over African Wanderers this weekend.

"I know Maduka and Kanyenda quite well and we will have to contain them. I already have a plan for that, but I'm not going to give away any secrets now," Mashaba said.