Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana return to begin at Orlando Amstel Arena

South Africa will start their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea at the Orlando Amstel Arena in Soweto, Johannesburg, on Saturday, 26 September, with the fixture set to mark Pitso Mosimane’s first match since returning as Bafana Bafana head coach.

The South African Football Association (Safa) confirmed the venue on Tuesday night, setting the stage for a highly anticipated home fixture as Mosimane begins his second spell in charge of the national team.

The match will be the first opportunity for supporters to see Mosimane’s plans take shape after he was appointed as the successor to Hugo Broos. The Belgian-born coach departed after a five-year tenure in which he left South Africa in a considerably stronger position.

During Broos’ time in charge, Bafana Bafana secured qualification for successive Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He also guided the team to the Fifa World Cup for the first time in 16 years, where South Africa made the historic achievement of reaching the Round of 32.

Mosimane will look to build on that progress while introducing his own ideas and methods. He has selected a combination of established players and new faces for a three-match schedule during the upcoming international window.

After the opening qualifier against Guinea, South Africa will travel to face Eritrea on 30 September. That match will be played at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo.

The international programme will conclude with a friendly against Egypt at Cairo International Stadium on 4 October.

Beginning the qualifying campaign at home is expected to provide an early indication of the direction Mosimane intends to take the national team. However, the coach has made it clear that significant work remains if South Africa are to improve substantially and challenge for major honours.

Mosimane has also retained a technical structure that includes several familiar figures from his successful period at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Safa announced on Tuesday that Morena Ramoreboli will become Bafana Bafana’s first assistant coach. Ramoreboli takes up the position after leaving his role as head coach of the Botswana national team.

He will work alongside Musi Matlaba and Kabelo Rangoaga, who are both returning to roles within Mosimane’s coaching set-up. Matlaba is expected to serve as chief analyst, while Rangoaga will work as the conditioning coach.

The pair have held those positions for several years and were trusted members of Mosimane’s staff during his successful era at Mamelodi Sundowns.

With Guinea first on the schedule, the Orlando Amstel Arena will provide the setting for Mosimane’s return to the dugout and the beginning of a new phase for Bafana Bafana.