Bafana Bafana’s road to AFCON 2027

Bafana Bafana’s road to AFCON 2027

Cape Town – Pitso Mosimane’s return to Bafana Bafana begins with a straight three-way fight for AFCON qualification against Guinea and Eritrea, with two more games against co-hosts Kenya thrown in along the way.

Pitso Mosimane’s second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana begins this month with the opening rounds of 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, a campaign that will unfold across three separate international windows between now and March 2027.

South Africa have been drawn in Group D alongside Guinea, Eritrea and co-hosts Kenya, who are already guaranteed a place at the finals regardless of results.

That leaves Guinea, Eritrea and South Africa fighting for the one remaining qualifying spot from the group, home and away, across six matches.

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After his opening two group games, Mosimane also takes charge for a friendly against Egypt in Cairo, before the squad returns home.

Guinea are the side South Africa will face first, and arguably the biggest threat to qualification. Guinea sit above Eritrea but below South Africa in the World Rankings, who climbed to 54th after their World Cup run.

Guinea reached the 1976 AFCON final and have made the quarter-finals on several occasions since, though a first title has always eluded them. Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte’s side are captained by veteran left-back Issiaga Sylla, the country’s most-capped player, and lean on a squad increasingly stocked with European-based talent.

The two meetings, home for Mosimane’s opening game and away in the final round next March, could well decide the group.

Eritrea’s story is unlike anything else in the group. Ranked 184th in the world, the Red Sea Camels only returned to a FIFA ranking in 2026 after several years of inactivity, having withdrawn from previous AFCON and World Cup qualifying campaigns entirely, in part due to a long history of players seeking asylum while on international duty.

They also have no CAF-approved stadium of their own – their meeting with Bafana will be played on neutral ground in Cairo, continuing a pattern that saw their preliminary-round tie against Eswatini hosted in Morocco.

Coached by Hesham Yakan and captained by Ablelom Teklezghi, Eritrea reaching the group phase at all, having come through a preliminary round against Eswatini, is a remarkable turnaround given the team’s recent history.

Kenya won’t factor into the qualification picture, having already secured their place at AFCON 2027 as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda, but the two meetings still carry plenty of interest for South African fans.

The Harambee Stars are coached by former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy, who took over last year and has blended youth with senior figures like captain and prolific striker Michael Olunga.

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With qualification already secured, Kenya will use both games as competitive preparation for hosting the tournament itself, giving Mosimane a look at a familiar South African face on the opposite touchline.

With Kenya’s results essentially a formality for the group, South Africa’s campaign really comes down to two head-to-heads. Guinea, the continent’s more established side, and Eritrea, whose participation alone is remarkable given their recent history.

The group will be decided in March 2027, giving Mosimane a full six-match audition, spread across six months, to show he can build on Bafana’s recent AFCON form and take the side even further.

Picture: Facebook/ Pitso Mosimane

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