AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Pitso Mosimane warns South Africa against dangerous Kenya

South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane has warned his side against underestimating Kenya ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying encounter at Orlando Stadium on Friday.

Kenya, coached by former Manchester City striker Benni McCarthy, have collected just one point from their opening two matches against Eritrea and Guinea.

However, the Harambee Stars have already secured qualification for the 24-team tournament as co-hosts, which will be staged from 19 June to 17 July next year.

Mosimane believes that makes Kenya a difficult opponent, as they have the freedom to approach Friday’s encounter without the pressure of needing a result to secure their place at the finals.

“Kenya are a tricky opponent because you’re playing against a team that has nothing to lose. They’ve already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations, so the result doesn’t affect their place at the finals,” Mosimane told reporters on Thursday.

“That gives them the freedom to approach the game however they want. They can come out and play against us, or they can sit back, defend and try to frustrate us.

“What if they want to work on their defensive organisation and resilience ahead of the finals? They can use this game for that. Or perhaps they want to go toe to toe with us. This is the opportunity for them to do it because the result doesn’t matter as much to them.

“That’s what makes it a difficult game. It means much more to us than it does to them.”

South Africa opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea before recording an emphatic 5-0 away win against Eritrea.

Mosimane wants his players to maintain that level of performance and secure another victory as they push for qualification.

“We have to be ready for whatever approach they take. I expect the same level of performance that we showed against Guinea, and we have to find the answers to whatever Kenya put in front of us,” he said.

“If we want to go to the Africa Cup of Nations finals, we have to do what is required. We have to win the match. It’s as simple as that.”

The South African coach also identified Kenya captain Michael Olunga as a major threat, comparing the striker’s qualities to those of Guinea forward Serhou Guirassy, who plays for Borussia Dortmund.

“Last time we were dealing with Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund, and now we have Michael Olunga. It’s almost the same challenge, although Olunga is probably faster than Guirassy.

“He’s a difficult player to deal with. I don’t think he played in their last one or two matches, but he’s the captain of the team and a legend in Kenya.

“Now they’ve brought him back for this match, so we have to be ready for that challenge as well.”

South Africa will be hoping to maintain their perfect start to the qualifiers when they take on Kenya on Friday.