Bafana Bafana begins 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Guinea

South Africa's national football team, Bafana Bafana, begins its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification campaign with a match against Guinea at Orlando Stadium. The fixture marks the return of head coach Pitso Mosimane, who aims to build squad depth similar to the South African Springboks rugby model.

Bafana Bafana faces a challenging Group D, where only one qualifying spot is available because Kenya is already participating as a co-host. The South African squad includes several new faces and core players from the recent World Cup cycle, though discussions have emerged regarding the heavy representation of Mamelodi Sundowns players in the lineup.

Guinea enters the match facing significant hurdles, including travel document issues and the absence of key players such as Naby Keita. However, coach Pitso Mosimane has highlighted Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy as a major threat that the South African defense must contain.