Bafana seek to extend perfect run and edge closer to Afcon ticket

In an unusual move, Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane wheeled out his technical team of Morena Ramoreboli, Musi Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoaga to the squad announcement for the upcoming Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Kenya.

Assistant coach Ramoreboli, performance analyst and assistant coach Matlaba, and strength and conditioning coach Rangoaga gave the nation a glimpse of what informs the thinking behind his selection.

The back-to-back Group D clashes will see a faceoff between legendary luminaries Mosimane — the only South African coach to win the Caf Champions League three times — and Benni McCarthy, SA’s sole winner of the European version of the competition, who remains the all-time Bafana top goalscorer with 32 goals from 80 caps.

At Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday night, Mosimane will be keen to prevent McCarthy from presenting the Harambee Stars as a potential banana peel to spoil his perfect return to Bafana, which he marked with 2-1 and 5-0 victories over Guinea and Eritrea last month.

We respect South Africa, but our responsibility is to Kenya. We want to compete, get results and give our supporters something to be proud of – Benni McCarthy, Kenya coach

The wins helped Bafana, who top the group with six points, climb to position 48 on the Fifa rankings, a spot they last reached in 2011.

Afcon ticket

Completing a double over Kenya will continue the upward trajectory.

Importantly, victories will strengthen Bafana’s ambition and claw Bafana closer to punching their ticket to the biennial tournament, which Kenya will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17 2027.

Bafana seek to secure a third successive Afcon qualification following a bronze medal finish in the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast and a last 16 elimination in Morocco in January.

Kenya lie 66 places below South Africa and will arrive in Johannesburg on Wednesday on the back of a three-match winless run.

In the Afcon qualifiers, they drew the opener with Eritrea 1-1 (at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium where they will host Bafana on Tuesday), lost 1-0 away to Guinea in Conakry, and settled for a goalless stalemate with Rwanda in a friendly.

In his 24-man squad, McCarthy has included seven new players who missed out on the Guinea and Eritrea engagements.

The seven new inclusions are defenders Sylvester Owino of Gor Mahia, Eric Marcelo Ouma of RKS Rakow, midfielders Zak Vyner of Wrexham, Alwyn Tera of Ararat-Armenia and Henry Ochieng of Slough Town, forwards Adam Wilson of New Saints and William Lenkupae of Tulsa.

Automatic qualification

Bottom of the group Kenya have gained automatic qualification as joint co-hosts and are using the matches as preparation.

Loyalty will be out the window for McCarthy, who wants his players to approach the games with the right mentality. “South Africa have quality and experience, but we must believe in ourselves and play to our strengths. We are not going there merely to participate,” said McCarthy, as quoted by The Star Kenya.

“We need players who are ready to compete and understand what it means to represent their country. Everyone called up must come with the hunger to fight for a place in the team. Young players must understand that talent alone is not enough. They have to work hard, learn and show that they can handle the demands of international football.

“We respect South Africa, but our responsibility is to Kenya. We want to compete, get results and give our supporters something to be proud of.”

Bafana will welcome back Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Lyle Foster, while Mosimane will keep a keen eye on how captain Ronwen Williams and his Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Teboho Mokoena deal with their niggles should Miguel Cardoso decide to draft them in the Caf Super Cup clash against Algeria’s USM Alger at Loftus this afternoon.

Should Williams remain incapacitated, either Sipho Chaine or Ricardo Goss will man the goals, while Siphephelo Sithole, Bathusi Aubaas or Brooklyn Poggenpoel can fill in for Mokoena.