South Africa’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign begins on Saturday night as they take on Gambia at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Bafana Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba is dealing with a squad that has been severely depleted through injury ahead of their encounter with the Scorpions, and these setbacks have prompted the tactician to urge caution at the start of Nations Cup qualifying.

Group M rivals Gambia pose an unfamiliar threat to the South Africans, and their coach is aware that they are an unknown quantity, and that this factor will make them dangerous.

Speaking to the media at a press conference, the former Swaziland coach said, “They are not going to be come here ready to be slaughtered. They are going to play. Remember they have nothing to lose. They are going to be happy to get a point and they might park the bus.”

“We need to take the game to them, but we must ask ourselves three questions when we do that – when, how and where – because if we run all over the pitch like headless chickens we will be punished,” Mashaba added.

The 64-year-old coach will be looking to overcome the struggles with finishing in front of goal that have perennially dogged Bafana in attack. Now in his second spell in charge of the senior national team, after a stint at the Bafana helm between 2002 and 2004, Mashaba commented on the need to score as many goals as possible in qualifying.

“This is going to be very tricky and perhaps more difficult. It is important that we win all our home games and ensure we even do well on the road,” he explained.

“Crucially we need to score goals because in the end goal difference might see us through. If we find Gambia open at the back we need to score as much as possible – at the end of the qualifiers you might have two nations deadlocked on points and the goal difference could come in handy,” added Mashaba.

Addressing the issue of inexperience in attack due to injuries, Mashaba mentioned that the midfielders will use their speed to contribute up front.

“If you look at our midfielders they are very pacy and quick on the ball which will make our lives easy because we will be having players who will add numbers in attack and also when we defend. We can only hope that the strikers that we play there, because all of them are new in the team, will come to the party,” Mashaba concluded.

South Africa have been drawn in Group M alongside Saturday’s opponents Gambia, Mauritania and one of African giants Cameroon.

The next set of AFCON qualifiers will take place in early September, with South Africa travelling to Mauritania while Gambia welcome the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.