Mosimane plays down Duarte’s praise after Bafana’s Guinea win

Pitso Mosimane has welcomed Paulo Duarte’s assessment that South Africa are among Africa’s three strongest teams, but warned that Bafana Bafana still have significant work to do.

Duarte made the claim after Guinea were beaten 2-1 by South Africa in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. The Guinea coach praised Bafana’s quality and intensity during the match, placing them alongside Morocco and Senegal as the continent’s leading sides.

“But also you need to understand that South Africa is actually one of the best teams in Africa,” Duarte said after the game.

“For me, the three best teams are Morocco, Senegal and South Africa in Africa, in my opinion, obviously.”

Mosimane responded cautiously when asked about the comments, accepting the compliment while stressing that South Africa’s progress must continue.

“If that’s his assessment, it’s humbling, but…” Mosimane told journalists.

“Top three, top three, yes, we have got a bronze, with that, yes, right.

“But we have a long way to go, right? They are a good team also. We played well. We are a good team. We are a good team.”

The victory marked a winning return to the Bafana Bafana job for Mosimane, who has begun his second spell in charge of the national team. Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini scored South Africa’s goals in the victory.

While Duarte’s comments offered recognition from an opposing coach, Mosimane’s response reflected a focus on results and continued improvement rather than rankings. Bafana Bafana were able to claim the points against Guinea, but the coach acknowledged that the team’s development remains ongoing.

South Africa’s attention now turns to their second AFCON 2027 qualifier. They will face Eritrea in Cairo on Wednesday, 30 September, with Mosimane seeking to build on the result against Guinea.

The fixture will be the next opportunity for Bafana Bafana to strengthen their position in the qualifying campaign and continue the positive start to Mosimane’s return.