South Africa will kick off their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a home game against Guinea in September, which could well turn out to be decisive in their bid to get to the finals.
South Africa were drawn on Tuesday in Group D with Eritrea, Guinea and Kenya, who are one of three co-hosts for the tournament
Kenya, despite being automatically qualified for the 24-team finals from June 19-July 17 next year, are taking part in the preliminaries and, as a result, only one other team will advance to the finals from Group D, likely setting up a straight shootout between Bafana and Syli Nationale.
Eritrea, who are among the lowest ranked African side at 184 in the FIFA standings, quailed for the group phase for the first time with a surprise two-legged aggregate win over Eswatini in the preliminary round in March.
It was their first competitive outing in over six years and saw seven players leave the team afterwards to seek political asylum in South Africa.
Aa result, Eritrea might yet withdraw from the qualifiers, leaving only three teams in the group.
But, for the moment, Bafana’s second game will be away against Eritrea, who hosted the home leg of their tie against Eswatini in Morocco because of the lack of adequate facilities in the repressive Red Sea state.
A much-anticipated showdown between Bafana and Benni McCarthy’s Kenya will be played in November, with South Africa at home first and then the two sides heading to Nairobi on match day four.
Bafana’s qualifying campaign finishes in March next year with an away trip to Guinea, who have also been forced over the last three years to host their home games outside of their country (either in the Ivory Coast or Morocco) and then home to Eritrea in their final game.
FIXTURES FOR THE 2027 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS
Group A:
MD1: Morocco v Gabon; Niger v Lesotho
MD2: Gabon v Niger; Lesotho v Morocco
MD3: Gabon v Lesotho; Morocco v Niger
MD4: Lesotho v Gabon; Niger v Morocco
MD5: Gabon v Morocco; Lesotho v Niger
MD6: Morocco v Gabon; Niger v Gabon
Group B:
MD1: Egypt v Angola; Malawi v South Sudan
MD2: Angola v Malawi; South Sudan v Egypt
MD3: Angola v South Sudan; Egypt v Malawi
MD4: Malawi v Egypt; South Sudan v Angola
MD5: Angola v Egypt; South Sudan v Malawi
MD6: Egypt v South Sudan; Malawi v Angola
Group C:
MD1: Gambia v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Ghana
MD2: Ghana v Gambia; Somalia v Ivory Coast
MD3: Ghana v Somalia; Ivory Coast v Gambia
MD4: Gambia v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Ghana
MD5: Ghana v Ivory Coast; Somalia v Gambia
MD6: Gambia v Ghana; Ivory Coast v Somalia
Group D:
MD1: Kenya v Eritrea; South Africa v Guinea
MD2: Eritrea v South Africa; Guinea v Kenya
MD3: Guinea v Eritrea; South Africa v Kenya
MD4: Eritrea v Guinea; Kenya v South Africa
MD5: Eritrea v Kenya; Guinea v South Africa
MD6: Kenya v Guinea; South Africa v Eritrea
Group E:
MD1: DR Congo v Equatorial Guinea; Sierra Leone v Zimbabwe
MD2: Equatorial Guinea v Sierra Leone; Zimbabwe v DR Congo
MD3: DR Congo v Sierra Leone; Equatorial Guinea v Zimbabwe
MD4: Sierra Loene v DR Congo; Zimbabwe v Equatorial Guinea
MD5: Equatorial Guinea v DR Congo; Zimbabwe v Sierra Leone
MD6: DR Congo v Zimbabwe; Sierra Leone v Equatorial Guinea
Group F:
MD1: Burkina Faso v Benin: Mauritania v Central African Republic
MD2: Benin v Mauritania; Central African Republic v Burkina Faso
MD3: Benin v Central African Republic; Burkina Faso v Mauritania
MD4: Central African Republic v Benin; Mauritania v Burkina Faso
MD5: Benin v Burkina Faso; Central African Republic v Mauritania
MD6: Burkina Faso v Central African Republic; Mauritania v Benin
Group G:
MD1: Cameroon v Comoros; Namibia v Congo
MD2: Comoros v Namibia; Congo v Cameroon
MD3: Cameroon v Namibia; Comoros v Congo
MD4: Congo v Comoros: Namibia v Cameroon
MD5: Comoros v Cameroon; Congo v Namibia
MD6: Cameroon v Congo; Namibia v Comoros
Group H:
MD1: Libya v Botswana; Tunisia v Uganda
MD2: Botswana v Tunisia; Uganda v Libya
MD3: Tunisia v Libya; Uganda v Botswana
MD4: Botswana v Uganda; Libya v Tunisia
MD5: Botswana v Libya; Uganda v Tunisia
MD6: Libya v Uganda; Tunisia v Botswana
Group I:
MD1: Algeria v Zambia; Togo v Burundi
MD2: Burundi v Algeria; Zambia v Togo
MD3: Algeria v Togo; Zambia v Burundi
MD4: Burundi v Zambia; Togo v Algeria
MD5: Burundi v Togo; Zambia v Algeria
MD6: Algeria v Burundi; Togo v Zambia
Group J:
MD1: Senegal v Mozambique; Sudan v Ethiopia
MD2: Ethiopia v Senegal; Mozambique v Sudan
MD3: Mozambique v Ethiopia; Senegal v Sudan
MD4: Ethiopia v Mozambique; Sudan v Senegal
MD5: Ethiopia v Sudan; Mozambique v Senegal
MD6: Senegal v Ethiopia; Sudan v Mozambique
Group K:
MD1: Mali v Cape Verde; Rwanda v Liberia
MD2: Cape Verde v Rwanda; Liberia v Mali
MD3: Cape Verde v Liberia; Mali v Rwanda
MD4: Liberia v Cape Verde; Rwanda v Mali
MD5: Cape Verde v Mali; Liberia v Rwanda
MD6: Mali v Liberia; Rwanda v Cape Verde
Group L:
MD1: Nigeria v Madagascar; Tanzania v Guinea Bissau
MD2: Guinea Bissau v Nigeria; Madagascar v Tanzania
MD3: Madagascar v Guinea Bissau; Nigeria v Tanzania
MD4: Guinea Bissau v Madagascar; Tanzania v Nigeria
MD5: Guinea Bissau v Tanzania; Madagascar v Nigeria
MD6: Nigeria v Guinea Bissau; Tanzania v Madagascar
Matchday 1 and MD2 will be played in the international window from September 21-October 6 and MD3 and MD4 in the window from November 9-17 this year. MD5 and MD6 will be played from March 22-30 next year.