Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos admits it was a difficult game but felt his side deserved their victory over Liberia on Tuesday night.

South Africa booked their place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals after they edged out Liberia 2-1 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia.

Bafana Bafana secured a top-two finish in Group K alongside Morocco, who already qualified, courtesy of goals from Zakhele Lepasa and Mihlali Mayambela.

Broos says his side now has 10 months to prepare themselves for the upcoming Afcon tournament as they await their opponents.

“It was a very tough game we knew it, the way Liberia plays its power play, not combination. I think we put the right players on the right place,” Broos told SABC Sport after the game.

“And I’m very proud the way they did it. They fought for it, I saw 90 minutes of perseverance, I mean, we scored two times. I think it was difficult, but I think we deserve it.

“We knew, like I said it’s power play how they play, from behind, the long ball and then they fight for it and I needed the guys who fight also.

“And I think with [Innocent] Maela behind, with [Sphephelo] Sithole in midfield, [Mihlali] Mayambela is a big guy with power, I think (thought) we could do something and we did it.

“That’s what I meant at that moment, this is a country that normally should be every time at Afcon and I didn’t understand why they didn’t go the last years.

“So it was very important (that we qualify), we have a young team and international games are important to have international experience and also going to the biggest tournament of Africa.

“So we did it now, we can only progress in the next ten months with opponents we can learn something and get ready for Afcon. I will say what I said in the beginning, ‘you may kill me if we don’t go to Afcon’, I think you may kill me if we don’t go through the next stages in Afcon next year.”