South Africa’s Bafana Bafana settle in Nairobi ahead of Kenya qualifier

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana have settled in well in Nairobi ahead of Tuesday evening’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Kenya at Nyayo National Stadium.

The South Africa men’s national team travelled to the East African country just hours after drawing 2-2 with the Harambee Stars at Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday evening.

Coach Pitso Mosimane said on Sunday that he was pleased with the way his players had responded to the demands of the journey and the short turnaround, with preparations now focused on the return fixture.

“I think we did the best we could given the circumstances,” Mosimane said. “The best thing was to leave early in the morning. The first available flight from South Africa to Kenya was at 01:00. We landed in Kenya in the morning, at around 06:00.

“It is difficult because after the match you do not sleep, because of the travel. But it is better to save time.”

The Bafana Bafana players were given time to recover after arriving, with Mosimane saying the team had been affected by both the physical and mental demands of Friday’s match.

“We arrived well, everything is perfect, the hotel is good and we have no complaints,” he said. “The boys rested when they arrived. Yesterday, they slept throughout the day.

“Honestly, we were all tired – tired from the match, from the effort we had put in and mentally as well. We have to improve because we did not get the results we expected.

“So we rested and recovered late yesterday evening to give them enough time to recover.”

Mosimane said the squad appeared refreshed on Sunday and that no player had reported feeling fatigued.

“Yes, they looked fit this morning and nobody is complaining about tiredness,” he added. “Today, in the late afternoon, we will train to see what the conditions are like.

“The weather is good. I thought it would be very hot, but there is a little wind, which is normal, so we cannot use that as an excuse.”