Bafana Bafana coach, Gordon Igesund claims that a win against Nigeria will improve their stand on the FIFA World ranking.
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South Africa are placed on 67th in the recent FIFA ranking as they take on three times African Champions at the Mandela Challenge Cup next week,
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But Igesund said his team has targeted steady improvement for his side, despite his team dropping eight spots in the released rankings on Thursday.
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"It's always important to improve," said Igesund. "In the next 18 months I'd like us to be in the top 20 in the world and top three or four in Africa."
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In the friendly international matches against Nigeria and Burkina Faso, on August 14 and 17 respectively,
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Bafana would have the chance to move up the rankings and continue their steady improvement of results since Igesund took charge.
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"We're taking huge strides at the moment and all these games are important. "If we can win against Nigeria, our ranking will improve. Then, if we can beat Burkina Faso — who were the runners up in AFCON 2013 — it will help our cause even more." Igesund said it was vital Bafana improved their position in the world because of the implications it would have on big-tournament seedings.
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"Every game we play - and there's no game that's not important - has repercussions. We need to be seeded, we need to be ranked, we need to get back the pride for South African football from the rest of the world.
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"To get the rest of the world to take notice of us, we need to start winning games. And if we do that, it will take us into the top 20 in the world and top three in Africa. I think we're going to get there as things are looking very positive."
But they can only wish they beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria because it's always gonna be very difficult for any opponent to defeat Nigeria.