South Africa v Guinea AFCON 2027 qualifier rescheduled to 26 September

South Africa’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Guinea has been rescheduled, with the two sides now set to meet on Saturday, 26 September 2026.

The match will be played at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 local time (13:00 GMT).

The fixture will mark the start of South Africa’s campaign to qualify for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July 2027. The qualifying competition is due to begin in September 2026.

The meeting is expected to be a significant early test for both sides, who have been drawn together in Group D alongside Kenya and Eritrea. Kenya, as one of the tournament’s co-hosts, have already secured automatic qualification but are taking part in the qualifying competition.

South Africa will enter the contest under new head coach Pitso Mosimane, who was officially unveiled by the South African Football Association earlier this week following the departure of Belgian coach Hugo Broos.

Mosimane returns to the national team for a third spell and will be tasked with guiding Bafana Bafana through their AFCON qualification campaign.

The fixture against Guinea is therefore set to be Mosimane’s first competitive match since returning to the South Africa job and could prove crucial in determining the early direction of the group.

South Africa and Guinea are regarded as the leading contenders for the qualifying place available from the group, given that Kenya have already qualified as hosts. Their first meeting in Johannesburg could consequently carry considerable weight in the race for progression.

The reverse fixture between Guinea and South Africa is scheduled to form part of the final phase of the qualifying campaign in March 2027.

The 2027 AFCON will be the first edition of the tournament to be staged jointly by three countries, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda preparing to welcome 24 teams for the finals.