South Africa vs Guinea – News and Probable Lineups

Pitso Mosimane will take the reins for his third match as he leads África do Sul against Guiné this Saturday. The Bafana Bafana are looking to kick off their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations on a positive note.

Having returned to the national team after the retirement of Hugo Broos, the former manager of Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly hopes to guide South Africa through a demanding Group D, where they’ll be vying for a single spot alongside Quênia, who are co-hosting AFCON 2027.

Match overview

Mosimane’s coaching journey has seen him work in various countries and achieve different levels of success, but he is back in his homeland seeking to prove himself.

The ex-Sundowns manager oversaw the Bafana Bafana during their unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the finals in 2012 in Guiné Equatorial and Gabão, mere years after hosting the 2010 World Cup.

Failing to qualify for both 2010 and 2012 marked the end of África do Sul’s streak of reaching the finals in seven consecutive tournaments.

Although the 1996 African champions have struggled to replicate that achievement since, they are now aiming to qualify for a third successive tournament for the first time since navigating their way through the qualifications for the 1996, 1998, and 2000 tournaments.

Much of their current standing can be attributed to Broos, who stepped down after guiding África do Sul into the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time, where they were eliminated by co-hosts Canadá in the round of 32.

Now, Mosimane finds himself back in charge, looking to secure the only qualifying spot in Group D at Guiné’s expense.

It is anticipated that two slots might be available in the group; however, the inclusion of Quênia in Group D restricts the margin for error for all teams involved.

Guiné, who missed out on AFCON 2025, aim to return to the continental tournament, having last missed consecutive finals in the years 2000 and 2002, the latter of which was due to disqualification from political interference.

Nonetheless, Syli National’s preparations have been affected by complications surrounding travel documents for their trip to Orlando Stadium on Saturday, and it is believed that several key players declined invitations to join the squad for the September-October international window.

This situation raises concerns, particularly given the state of Paulo Duarte’s side as they head into this fixture, with the National Elephants having not won in their last four outings, including two consecutive friendly defeats.

Guiné was unable to find the back of the net in their away matches during the qualifying campaign for the 2025 finals, suffering 1-0 losses to DR Congo and Tanzânia, and will face a challenging task in Johannesburg, where África do Sul will undoubtedly be seen as the favorites to claim all three points.

Team News

After being named in the preliminary squad, Lyle Foster has been omitted from the final group selected by Mosimane to face Guiné and Eritreia in the coming week.

However, prominent players such as Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, and Relebohile Mofokeng have made the squad and are likely to start in goal, midfield, and attack, respectively.

Bafana Bafana also introduce five new players: Lebone Seema, Brooklyn Poggenpoel, Yanela Mbuthuma, Puso Dithejane, and Tashreeq Matthews are all included for the start of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with Dithejane’s direct play and versatility across the attacking line presenting an exciting choice for Mosimane.

Guiné’s squad features Serhou Guirassy, and the 30-year-old forward is looking to commence the qualifying series positively.

However, in addition to the visa complications affecting preparations, Duarte has dealt with the refusal of Naby Keita to join the squad, while Mohamed Mady Camara, Cheick Oumar Conde, Dembo Sylla, Morgan Guilavogui, Issiaga Sylla, and Mohamed Bayo all remain unavailable.

Ilaix Moriba returns to the lineup for the first two fixtures in the AFCON 2027 qualifying, and Aboubacar Keita could potentially make his debut for the national side in Johannesburg.

South Africa probable starting XI:

Williams; Lord, Okon, Sibisi, Women; Prince, Sithole; Mofokeng, Zwane, Maseko; Rayners

Guiné probable starting XI:

Chair; Conate, Diakhaby, Sow, Keita; Toure, Moriba, Cisse; Chair, Guirassy, ​​Diaby-Fadiga

Despite Guiné having a potent attacking threat in Guirassy, their recent challenges in scoring on the road combined with rising off-field distractions make them fragile in Johannesburg.

With Mosimane eager to mark his return with a significant victory and a highly motivated Bafana Bafana side backed by strong home support, the hosts should possess more than enough quality to secure full points.