South Africa need a victory to win back support

By Mark Gleeson

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa need to beat Iraq in the opening match of the Confederations Cup on Sunday to regain the confidence of their fans, midfielder Steven Pienaar said on Friday.

"This is our opportunity to win back the supporters and a great opportunity to show our potential," he said ahead of the Group A clash in Johannesburg.

The Everton player, who has trained sparingly this week because of a bout of gastro-flu, hopes to continue the form he showed in the second half of the English Premier League campaign.

"I had a good season and I hope I can carry on where I left off and do well for my country. It is about time," he told a news conference in Soweto.

"The guys are more relaxed. We realise we have a job to do but we won't be playing under any pressure.

"We don't want to talk about the World Cup just yet, our aim is to do well in this tournament and to leave our mark. We want to make them aware of what South Africa are made of."

South Africa's slump in form over the years has seen attendances at national team matches decline.

South Africa host the two-week Confederations Cup from Sunday. They are also paired with New Zealand and European champions Spain in their opening round group.

The eight-team tournament serves as a test event ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.