Bafana Bafana thrashed Eritrea 5-0 in Cairo, with Relebohile Mofokeng scoring twice. The win was expected, but the margin and the control were still pleasing.
How it unfolded
- 19’ Mofokeng scored his first Bafana goal, latching onto a superb Oswin Appollis pass and finishing into the bottom corner.
- 45+’ Mofokeng added a second, cutting in from the left and beating two defenders before firing into the near corner, for 2-0 at the break.
- 52’ Appollis created space and forced a save, and Sphephelo Sithole buried the rebound.
- 63’ Iqraam Rayners added a fourth, giving Bafana a goal from a recognised striker and ending a two-year international goal drought. Appollis was again the creator.
- 90’ Luther Singh completed the rout.
Standout players
Mofokeng was the star, and Appollis was the creative engine with two assists. Coach Pitso Mosimane’s faith in both paid off.
The bigger picture
Bafana now have six points from two games after the 2-1 opening win over Guinea, and they lead Group D. One nuance: Kenya are already through as co-hosts, so only the highest-ranked team apart from the host nation earns the extra qualification place. Bafana are effectively racing Guinea for that spot, which makes this points haul even more valuable.
On Nigeria and Ghana
Both teams above Bafana in the rankings stumbled on Tuesday, which strengthens South Africa’s position:
- Ghana lost 4-2 to Gambia, following their 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire on matchday one. That leaves the Black Stars without a point after two games.
- Nigeria lost 3-0 to Guinea-Bissau, having opened with a 2-1 comeback win over Madagascar. They sit on three points, behind Guinea-Bissau in Group L.
- Both setbacks raise the prospect of ranking slips and a genuine qualification threat, although the rankings themselves have not been checked here.
As always, it is early days: four matchdays remain, with the next two in November, and both Nigeria and Ghana have time to recover. But it is a very healthy platform for Bafana.
PiE Sport | 26 September 2026
Bafana Bafana have started their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign with a 2–1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium, giving new head coach Pitso Mosimane a winning return to the South African national team.
South Africa opened their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Guinea on Saturday, with a late goal from defender Samukele Kabini securing all three points in Soweto.
The result gives Bafana an important early advantage in Group D, where they are competing with Guinea and Eritrea for the qualification place available alongside automatically qualified hosts Kenya.
A Winning Return for Pitso Mosimane
The match marked Pitso Mosimane’s return to the Bafana Bafana dugout, beginning another chapter for the experienced South African coach.
Mosimane inherited a squad that includes several of the players who represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including captain Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane and Relebohile Mofokeng.
The coach also introduced several new faces to the national-team setup as South Africa began preparations for the next major continental tournament.
Kabini Delivers the Late Winner
With the match finely balanced, Samukele Kabini became the decisive figure.
The Norway-based defender scored his first international goal with 13 minutes remaining to give Bafana Bafana a crucial 2–1 victory.
It was the kind of moment that can define an opening qualifying match: three points secured and a new international chapter beginning with a memorable contribution from a defender.
Why the Victory Matters
The three points are particularly important because of the unusual qualification situation in Group D.
Kenya are already guaranteed a place at AFCON 2027 as one of the tournament’s co-hosts. That means South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea are effectively competing for the remaining qualification place from the group.
That makes every point valuable, particularly at home.
South Africa’s next Group D fixture comes against Eritrea on 30 September, with the match scheduled to take place in Cairo.
A New Bafana Chapter Begins
The victory also gives Mosimane an ideal starting point as he begins his latest spell in charge of the national team.
There is still a long qualifying campaign ahead, but beating Guinea means Bafana Bafana have immediately put themselves in a strong position in the early stages.
For a team coming off a historic 2026 World Cup campaign, the challenge now is to carry that momentum into the road towards AFCON 2027.
And for Kabini, Saturday’s match will be remembered for a little longer.
His late strike not only delivered the points — it announced his arrival on the international stage.
