Mosimane’s Bafana era begins with Guinea AFCON qualifier at Orlando

Pitso Mosimane’s return to the Bafana Bafana dugout will officially get underway later this month when South Africa begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign against Guinea at Orlando Stadium.

The match is scheduled for Saturday, 26 September 2026, and will be Mosimane’s first competitive game since returning to the national team for a third spell.

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The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed Orlando Stadium as the venue for the opening Group D qualifier.

A correction from the earlier information: Bafana’s opponent in this AFCON qualifier is Guinea, not Eswatini. Eswatini have previously played South Africa at Orlando Stadium in a friendly, which may be where the confusion comes from.

The fixture represents the beginning of a new chapter for Bafana after Hugo Broos’ departure and Mosimane’s appointment. The 62-year-old coach returns to the national team with considerably more experience than when he last occupied the position.

Mosimane previously coached Bafana and has since built one of the strongest coaching résumés in African football. He won the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 before adding two more continental titles with Egyptian giants Al Ahly in 2020 and 2021. CAF records that he has won the competition three times.

His immediate challenge, however, is straightforward: qualify for AFCON 2027.

South Africa have been drawn in Group D alongside Guinea, Eritrea and Kenya. Kenya are co-hosts of the 2027 tournament and, therefore, already have automatic qualification, meaning the other teams are competing for the remaining qualifying place from the group.

The Guinea match is, therefore, particularly important. Bafana will then travel to Egypt to face Eritrea on 30 September, before remaining in Cairo for an international friendly against Egypt on 4 October.

MOSIMANE INHERITS A TEAM WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS

The new coach takes charge following a historic 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in which Bafana reached the knockout stages for the first time.

That achievement has raised expectations around the national team, and Mosimane will be expected to maintain that momentum while putting his own stamp on the side.

He has already named a 35-man provisional squad for the September assignments, retaining several of the players who formed part of Broos’ team while also opening the door to a number of new faces.

Among those included are captain Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Relebohile Mofokeng, Themba Zwane, Thapelo Morena, Aubrey Modiba and Sphephelo Sithole, while players such as Yanela Mbuthuma, Cemran Dansin, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews, Ronaldo van Neel and Shandre Campbell have also been given an opportunity.

Mosimane has also added Morena Ramoreboli to his technical team as an assistant coach, bringing in a coach with recent international experience after his work with Botswana.

ORLANDO AWAITS A NEW BAFANA ERA

For Mosimane, starting his third stint with Bafana at Orlando Stadium adds another layer to the occasion.

The venue has a long association with South African football and has hosted numerous important matches over the years. The modern Orlando Stadium was rebuilt between 2006 and 2008 and has a capacity of about 40,000.

Now, it will provide the backdrop for Mosimane’s latest attempt to lead Bafana to continental success.

The first target is clear: beat Guinea, start the AFCON qualifying campaign strongly and put South Africa in control of Group D.

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