South Africa defender Aubrey Modiba set to miss Eritrea clash due to hamstring injury

South Africa defender Aubrey Modiba is unlikely to feature again during the current international break after suffering a hamstring injury in Bafana Banafa’s 2-1 victory over Guinea.

Modiba was forced off during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener at Orlando Amstel Arena on Sunday after picking up the injury and was stretched off the pitch before being replaced by Samukele Kabini.

The setback has raised doubts over his availability for South Africa’s upcoming fixtures, with Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane confirming that the defender is unlikely to recover in time for Wednesday’s AFCON qualifier against Eritrea.

Modiba is also expected to miss Sunday’s international friendly against Egypt, meaning South Africa could be without one of their experienced full-backs for the remainder of the break.

Mosimane revealed that Modiba had been carrying a heavy workload before the injury and admitted that the situation was not ideal for his team.

“Aubrey is overloaded, my full-backs were on duty tonight. So, Aubrey is overloaded, but we have Kabini,” said Mosimane.

The Bafana coach is now expected to rely on his other options at left-back as the team prepares for its next assignment.

Mosimane believes younger players can help ease the pressure, particularly with the demands of a busy international schedule.

“Sebelebele is younger, and he can take the load, this guy can run all the time. So, Aubrey’s got a tight hamstring, which is not nice for us, but at least we still have Basadien, and we still have Kabini,” he added.

Modiba’s injury comes at an inconvenient time for South Africa, who began their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with an important victory over Guinea.

The Bafana Bafana will now have to assess their defensive options ahead of the clash with Eritrea, with Kabini and Basadien among the players available to cover for the injured Modiba.

With another qualifier and a friendly scheduled within days of each other, the technical team will be cautious with the left-back to avoid aggravating the hamstring problem.

Modiba will therefore be hoping for a swift recovery as South Africa continue their preparations for the remainder of the AFCON qualifying campaign.