Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana is expecting a tough clash when South Africa take on Ireland in an international friendly in Limerick on Tuesday night.

"Ireland are not easy to play against especially at home. The Irish have one philosophy which we South Africans are not comfortable with — they play long ball," said Santana.

He added: "They play pressure football and they are strong and make you very uncomfortable. The Irish play with a lot of energy and they are also dangerous in dead-ball situations. So we have to prepare thoroughly."

Santana said the Ireland showdown will be a good practice for his players.

"It's important for us to face such sides now because we are going to meet them in the World Cup; so it's an excellent opportunity which we have to use wisely," said Santana.

Meanwhile, Santana has the challenge of getting the players in peak condition after their tough clash against Germany, which they lost 2-0 on Saturday.

"I am not complaining but just saying how difficult it is and I don't want any excuses after the match. After playing on Saturday, we had a lot of travelling and the players take time to recover, the medical team and the physical trainer have done their best to keep the players in peak condition.

"But then again this is what we will get in the World Cup; it's good for the players to get used to the system like it happened in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where we played every three or four days," commented Santana.

Asked whether he will make changes for this match, Santana said that he would first have to see the players at training and get the doctor's report before making any decisions.


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