South Africa will enter a new era under returning coach Pitso Mosimane when they welcome Guinea to the Orlando Stadium in Soweto for a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifier. Kick-off on 26 September is at 3pm CAT.
FORM AND TEAM NEWS
Bafana Bafana parted ways with long-serving coach Hugo Broos after he oversaw a first-ever run to the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup a few months back (ending in a 1-0 defeat to Canada on 28 June in Los Angeles), and Mosimane has returned for his second permanent spell in charge of the national team.
The 62-year-old, whose first tenure ran from 2010 to 2012 and ended in ignominy after a failure to qualify for the 2012 AFCON, will have an immediate chance to set the record straight in the qualifiers for the 2027 edition of the continental championship – starting with this clash against Guinea, in a group which also features Eritrea and already-qualified co-hosts Kenya.
Guinea, who missed out on the last edition of the AFCON, are winless in their last four outings: draws against Niger and Togo, as well as successive defeats to Benin and Northern Ireland – all in friendly matches played between November 2025 and June of this year.
The Syli National have had some notable headaches heading into this match, with the squad facing issues in regards to visas and travel documents, while some major players have declined call-ups – including former Liverpool star Naby Keita.
WHAT THE TEAMS ARE SAYING
South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane on the hunger of his players to impress:
“I’m so impressed after listening to the guys who’ve just joined the camp now, the humility that they have for the national team. I feel the hunger in them. I feel that they want to show that they deserve to be in the team. [...] I think everyone deserves a chance. But yes, we also have to respect those who’ve done the job and who’ve put themselves ahead of the new ones.”
Guinea coach Paulo Duarte on the visa and logistical challenges faced by his team:
“I want Guinea to move forward in terms of organisation, ambition and respect. Today, we have enormous problems because of the visa. For example, it is unacceptable for me as national coach that, to this day, Guinea does not have a service passport for our players.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
South Africa – Relebohile Mofokeng
The 21-year-old attacker has already made a great impression at his new club side, Belgium’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, where he has four goals and one assist from nine appearances across all competitions – form he will want to bring with him to the South African national team.
Guinea – Serhou Guirassy
The 30-year-old Borussia Dortmund striker has scored 64 goals in 102 appearances for the Bundesliga giants since joining them just over two years ago, and his international record of 11 goals from 28 matches speaks to a player who will be a major threat to Bafana Bafana’s defence on Saturday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
South Africa and Guinea have met in four previous matches. The Syli National have claimed two wins (2-0 in a group stage match at the 2006 AFCON, and 1-0 in a friendly in 2008), Bafana have one victory (2-1 in a group stage match at the 2025 African Nations Championship), plus one game was drawn (0-0 in a friendly in 2022).