The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed that the 2010 African Nations Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Nigeria will be played at Port Elizabeth's EPRU Stadium.

The match will be played on Saturday, 6 September.

South Africa have to win this game to harbour any chances of qualifying for the Angolan showpiece — as anything less than a victory in this encounter will all but end any chances of qualifying.

SAFA Chief Executive Raymond Hack, however, is optimistic that Bafana will win the Nigerian encounter.

"The ball is round and we still have a chance to qualify. Nobody including our coach has given up on qualifying for Angola. If we can beat Nigeria, then there is a good chance we can qualify," Hack told SAPA.

However, at this stage even if Bafana win both their remaining qualifiers they would still have to pray that Sierra Leone finish bottom of their group (Group Four). Bafana have a tricky final qualifier away to Equatorial Guinea in October. Bafana scored their only win in the group by beating Equatorial Guinea 4-1 at the Super Stadium last month, but it will be tough to get an away win against the unpredictable Central Africans.

Due to the fact that one group has three sides only, Africa's controlling body — the Confederation of African Football (CAF) — said the results of the teams finishing bottom in the other groups would be expunged. It adds up to making Bafana's job of qualifying for Angola almost impossible.

"We did not do well in the four qualifiers because we failed to score goals. That is not the coach's fault," explained Hack.

Meanwhile, Hack said Cameroon had been lined up to play Bafana in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge on Wednesday, 19 November.

"We are busy finalising the deal with Cameroon, but should they not agree then Ivory Coast will play Bafana in the Nelson Mandela Challenge.

"We are still discussing a venue with all parties and will make an announcement when we have made a decision," concluded Hack.