体坛英语新闻：South Africa gears up for FIFA World Cup

JOHANNESBURG, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Pitso Mosimane, assistant coach for South Africa's national football team, Bafana Bafana, believes that now is the time for the national team's players to really stand up and be counted.

With just over a month to go until the FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa on June 11, expectation is building around South Africa.

Mosimane, wants to see the national team step up their game ahead of the tournament and focus on what is really important at this point in time.

He told The Daily Dispatch newspaper in the South African city of East London: "We can now feel that the World Cup is just around the corner and I'm sure that the players also feel this way."

The assistant coach said it was important that "all of us focus on the job at hand, which is to prepare for a strong Bafana Bafana".

He noted that many people expect the team to do well but said much must be done before that could be achieved.

"We have worked very hard in the last two camps we held in Brazil and Germany. I can now feel that we are getting closer to where we wanted to be," he added.

"This is the final camp before the World Cup and I'm positive that the players are going to exert themselves."

Bafana Bafana face Mexico in the opening World Cup game at Johannesburg's Soccer City on June 11.