Pitso Mosimane warns Bafana Bafana of Eritrea threat in AFCON qualifier

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has singled out Eritrea striker Ali Suleiman as the main danger ahead of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Cairo’s Al Salam stadium later today.

Suleiman scored three goals as Eritrea beat Eswatini 4-1 on aggregate in the preliminary qualification stage earlier this year. The 26-year-old plays for Egyptian Premier League club Al Masry, meaning he will be competing in familiar surroundings against South Africa.

Mosimane says the forward’s pace, finishing and ability from set pieces will require particular attention.

“Their striker scores all the time and the guy is even playing here in Egypt, he is fast, deadly on set pieces and shoots from any angle. We have to look after him as best we can,” he said.

Only three members of Eritrea’s current squad are based in the country, while the rest play abroad and have arrived from 13 different countries.

Eritrea has also faced a long-running problem with defections, with some athletes using sport as a route to seek asylum. Following their match against Eswatini, about seven players absconded to South Africa.

However, Mosimane believes Eritrea’s performances on the pitch show they cannot be dismissed. The Red Sea Camels came close to defeating 2027 AFCON co-hosts Kenya this past weekend, with the Harambee Stars needing an equaliser three minutes before full-time to avoid a historic defeat.

South Africa are ranked 54th in the world by FIFA, 130 places above Eritrea in 184th. Despite that disparity, Mosimane has called for a disciplined performance from his players after Bafana Bafana began their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 home victory against Guinea.

“I expect the boys to show respect to the national team and the flag with everybody fighting and working hard for the badge. I’m happy with the result and the attitude last time out, and we have to replicate that against Eritrea. It would be really nice to win away from home,” Mosimane said.

Bafana Bafana will be without the Mamelodi Sundowns pair Aubrey Modiba and Teboho Mokoena, who have both been ruled out with injuries sustained during the Guinea match.

Modiba has been filling the left-back position, while Mokoena has been an important figure in midfield.

There is more encouraging news regarding Nkosinathi Sibisi. The experienced defender, one of the senior members of the squad, has recovered from his injury and is expected to be available for selection for tonight’s fixture.