Bafana Bafana cruise past Eritrea as Pitso Mosimane continues strong return

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Bafana Bafana continued their strong start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign after defeating Eritrea 5–0 at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday evening.

The victory gave South Africa six points from their opening two Group D matches after they defeated Guinea 2–1 in their first qualifier on 26 September. The result also moved Bafana to the top of the group and improved their goal difference.

The star of the match was 21-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng, who scored twice in the first half. His first goal came in the 19th minute after he received a pass from Oswin Appollis. He then doubled Bafana’s lead just before halftime with a composed finish inside the box. It was Mofokeng’s first goal for the senior national team.

Relebohile Mofokeng, scored twice in the first half

Bafana Bafana dominated

South Africa continued to dominate after the break. Sphephelo Sithole scored the third goal in the 52nd minute after reacting quickly to a rebound. Iqraam Rayners then added a fourth goal before substitute Luther Singh completed the scoring in stoppage time. Bafana also kept a clean sheet.

The match was also an important moment for Pitso Mosimane, who has returned as Bafana Bafana head coach. Mosimane was reappointed in September 2026 and is now beginning his latest spell in charge of the national team.

Mosimane’s return has started with two victories. His first match back ended in a 2–1 victory over Guinea, followed by Wednesday’s convincing 5–0 win over Eritrea. He has also brought new players into the national-team setup, including Lebone Seema, Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Yanela Mbuthuma.

bafana bafana coach pitso — Pitso Mosimane

Bafana Bafana in strong position

Despite the positive results, Mosimane has called for focus and warned his players not to underestimate their opponents. Before the Eritrea match, he stressed the importance of maintaining concentration as Bafana continued their AFCON qualifying campaign.

The victory puts South Africa in a strong position after two matches, but the qualifying campaign is not over. Bafana will remain in Egypt for a friendly against Egypt on 4 October, giving Mosimane another opportunity to assess his squad.

For now, the 5–0 victory has given South African football supporters plenty to celebrate as the national team looks ahead to the remaining AFCON qualifiers.

Critiques after the match

SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan congratulated the team and said they have had a brilliant start to the qualifying campaign for the 2027 AFCON.

“Congratulations to HOD Molwantwa, coach Pitso, the players and technical team. You have picked up six points in your first two qualifiers, congratulations,” the SAFA President said.

Eritrea coach Hesham Yaka said most of his players are still inexperienced and they were overwhelmed by a superior opponent that just returned from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“We faced a team that is classified as a top 5 team in Africa, it was difficult,” the Eritrea coach said.

According to the South African Football Association: Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to the international friendly match against Egypt to be played at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, 4 October 2026.