Bafana Bafana face character test in final AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane says his side’s mentality will be tested during their final three AFCON 2027 qualifiers, despite South Africa remaining on course to qualify.

South Africa lead Group D with seven points, one ahead of Guinea after the first half of the qualifying campaign. However, their advantage could have been greater after they surrendered two valuable points at home to co-hosts Kenya on Friday night.

Bafana Bafana will meet Kenya again at the National Stadium in Nairobi, where a victory would strengthen their position at the top of the group. Mosimane remains confident they can recover and finish the qualification campaign in control of their own destiny.

“That’s football for you,” Mosimane said. “Two goals is not enough. Playing good football is not enough. It’s not all about that. You need to take chances. Ball possession doesn’t win games. That’s the reality. That’s the lesson that we are getting.

“I think we want to qualify the hard way. But for me, it’s to stay where we are, and finish where we are. It’s still in our hands. But it’s sad. Bitter.”

Remaining top of the group is particularly important because Kenya have already secured their place at the finals as co-hosts. That leaves winning the group as the realistic route for Bafana Bafana to qualify.

Mosimane admitted the challenge would demand a strong response from his players, who he felt had made the situation more difficult by failing to take their chances at Orlando Amstel Arena.

The match, he said, would provide an important measure of the team’s resilience as they attempt to recover from the dropped points and maintain their lead.

“But now we can be able to see the character that we have in the team. Can we fight? Can we stay hard to be where we are, and with what you might not like? But we are where we are,” Mosimane said.

Despite the disappointment, the coach believes his squad have already shown they can handle difficult circumstances. He pointed to their experience of qualifying for the World Cup, even after being deducted three points, as evidence that they possess the resolve required to reach the next AFCON finals.

“I think this team has enough character from the past to deal with something like this,” Mosimane said. “They dealt with qualifying for the World Cup, even though they were deducted three points. I can deal with that – they have character.”

Bafana Bafana are seeking to qualify for their third successive AFCON finals.