Bafana Bafana began their quest to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations under Pitso Mosimane with a 2-1 win over Guinea and a 5-0 drubbing of minnows Eritrea. The Bafana coach expressed his joy with the winning start to his second tenure in charge of the team, saying he would build on the foundation laid by predecessor Hugo Broos.

"It's a good start, but let's keep our feet on the ground and not get too excited." Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane uttered these words in analysing his team's winning start in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) campaign.

The South African senior men's soccer side put themselves in pole position to finish at the summit of Group D of Afcon qualification by hitting the ground running in Mosimane's second tenure as the team's coach. Bafana began their campaign on Saturday, 26 September, with a 2-1 over Guinea. In that clash, goals from defenders Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini steered Mosimane's men to success.

On Wednesday, 30 September, Bafana Bafana secured a much more emphatic 5-0 victory against minnows Eritrea. The clash was played in Egypt's capital, Cairo, due to Eritrea not having facilities that match the standards required by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). This is a normal practice on the continent, with numerous countries in the same position as Eritrea in terms of infrastructure or simply besieged by internal conflict.

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