Bafana Bafana opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win over Guinea at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday afternoon.
In what was the opening match of a new era, led by three-time CAF Champions League winner Pitso Mosimane, it was a set-up expected with the core group who starred at the 2026 FIFA World Cup included.
The decision to start Relebohile Mofokeng as the 10, however, did prove as the show of faith of Mosimane but he spurned an early chance in the game to get Bafana in the lead.
Guinea were well organised, physical and able to keep possession from the hosts despite their desire to push forward looking for an early lead to settle nerves.
Paulo Duarte – who snubbed the media briefings yesterday had a clear intention to rattle the home side, who enjoy the possession game, noted as one of the top three in the metric in Africa during Broos’ tenure.
Aliou Balde on the flank was the clear creator and dangerman for Duarte’s side as their most used attacking outlet that was set out to pin Kamogelo Sebelebele deep into his own half which nullified his attacking threat.
Bafana soaked up that threat and around the mid-way mark of the half kicked into another gear with Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis and Teboho Mokoena key to their shift in intensity.
And it was an opener from the most unlikely source, Ime Okon, his first international goal, with a finish a striker would be proud of at the near post.
His celebration, along with the squad, showed what that goal meant in a heated encounter in Orlando – in what captain Ronwen Williams emphasised was a must-win fixture in the context of the qualifying campaign for AFCON.
The second half appeared cagier, and Mosimane responded with the aim of keeping up intensity, bringing on Samukele Kabini and Yanela Mbuthuma for Aubrey Modiba and Iqraam Rayners, with the latter, having a quiet game by his usual standards, being pinned by the Guinea defence – which were notably physically imposing.
But the visitors managed to level matters against the run of play in fortuitous circumstances when a free-kick bounced all the wall and Seydouba Cisse went clear to slot the ball past Ronwen Williams with 22 minutes to go.
Kabini, did however, make a huge impact and like Okon, scored his first international goal to hand Mosimane a major win in a memorable fixture in Soweto to open the campaign with three points and top spot in Group D.