South Africa lose Mokoena and Modiba for Eritrea qualifier

South Africa will be without Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea after both players were ruled out with injuries.

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane confirmed the double setback as his squad prepared for Wednesday’s Group D match at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo. The game will kick off at 18:00 SA time on 30 September 2026.

South Africa have already arrived in Egypt for the fixture, which follows their 2-1 victory over Guinea at the Orlando Amstel Arena in their opening qualifying match.

Mokoena and Modiba, both of Mamelodi Sundowns, were injured during that win and have been unable to train since joining the national team camp. Medical scans have now confirmed that neither player will be available against Eritrea.

“Mokoena was pulling that leg with a few minutes to go, and he gave us everything,” Mosimane told the media ahead of the match.

“Obviously, they are not available.

“They haven’t trained since we came. The doctor took them for scans and, in a nutshell, the scans say that the injuries mean we can’t use them.”

Mosimane considers replacement options

Mosimane will now need to make changes at left-back and in midfield as South Africa seek to maintain their winning start to the qualifying campaign.

Samukele Kabini and Fawaaz Basadien are the available options to replace Modiba at left-back.

Mokoena’s absence leaves a significant gap in the centre of midfield, but Bathusi Aubaas and Sphephelo Sithole provide Mosimane with alternative options for the match in Cairo.

The fixture is South Africa’s second in Group D and comes only days after their hard-fought victory against Guinea. A win over Eritrea would allow Bafana Bafana to build further momentum in the race to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.