Nkosinathi Sibisi ruled out of Bafana Bafana’s Guinea AFCON qualifier

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has confirmed that Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi will miss today’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea at Orlando Stadium.

The veteran defender has not taken part in Bafana Bafana’s last few training sessions after sustaining a knock, leaving Mosimane without one of the team’s key players over the past five years.

Sibisi’s absence comes as South Africa prepare to face a Guinea side led by Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy. However, Mosimane believes his squad has enough depth to cope with the defensive setback.

“Setback for Sibisi because he has an injury and he hasn’t been training the last few days; he received a knock in training. So we are monitoring him. The doctor said he will miss this one,” said Mosimane.

“But injuries are part of national sports and football hence we select enough numbers because we don’t know what we are going to face.”

Mosimane also pointed to the absence of Lebo Maboe as another reason for selecting a large squad for the international campaign.

“Thank God we selected enough, and I think you know about Lebo Maboe – he is also out, hence we need to select as many as we can so that we can absorb or go through the hurdles with time without panicking. So that’s what we have, and so far, so good.”

Only one team will qualify from Group D alongside hosts Kenya, putting added importance on the fixture. Guinea are regarded as the main challenge to Bafana Bafana’s hopes, with Eritrea also in the group.

The match is therefore viewed as a must-win for Mosimane’s side, who will be seeking to make the most of home advantage at Orlando Stadium.

Guinea coach Paulo Duarte is also under pressure to guide his team to the Africa Cup of Nations after they failed to qualify for last year’s tournament in Morocco. Mosimane, though, said the demands placed on coaches at international level apply to everyone.

A report ahead of the match said Guinea had begun “mind games” after Duarte boycotted a press conference.

Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has underlined the value of strong support from the stands. He wants a sold-out crowd to provide the extra encouragement needed against Guinea and give the new coach a positive reception.