South Africa vs. Guinea - prediction, team news, lineups

Pitso Mosimane leads retired South Africa for the 3rd clip — and 2nd arsenic imperishable manager — against Guinea connected Saturday, arsenic Bafana Bafana purpose to commencement 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying connected a affirmative note.

The erstwhile Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly manager returns to the nationalist squad pursuing Hugo Broos’s retirement, with the extremity of navigating a challenging Group D, wherever they are competing for 1 slot owed to the beingness of Kenya — co-hosts of AFCON 2027 — successful the group.

Match preview

Mosimane’s coaching vocation has taken him crossed assorted nations and aggregate continents to differing levels of success, but helium returns to his location state with thing to prove.

The erstwhile Sundowns manager was successful complaint erstwhile Bafana Bafana failed to suffice for the 2012 finals successful Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, conscionable 2 years aft hosting the 2010 World Cup connected the continent.

Not qualifying for 2010 and 2012 ended South Africa’s tally of 7 consecutive tournaments reaching the finals.

While the 1996 African champions person not matched that tally since, they statesman their quest to suffice for a 3rd consecutive tourney for the archetypal clip since they successfully navigated qualifications for the 1996, 1998 and 2000 editions.

The one-time continental victors beryllium overmuch of their existent lasting to Broos, who retired aft starring South Africa to the knockout signifier successful a World Cup for the archetypal time, exiting to co-hosts Canada successful the circular of 32.

Now, Mosimane returns to the blistery seat, looking to unafraid the sole qualifying slot successful Group D astatine Guinea’s expense.

Ideally, 2 spots should beryllium disposable successful the group, but Kenya’s beingness successful Group D limits the borderline for mistake for everyone else.

Guinea, who missed AFCON 2025, past failed to enactment successful consecutive finals successful 2000 and 2002, the second being a effect of disqualification owed to governmental interference, and they anticipation to instrumentality to the continental showpiece for adjacent year’s finals.

However, Syli National’s preparations person been hampered by challenges regarding question documents for Saturday’s travel to Orlando Stadium, portion a fewer cardinal players are understood to person declined invites to the squad for the September-October planetary window.

That concern is concerning, particularly fixed Paulo Duarte’s side’s signifier heading into this weekend, with the National Elephants winless successful 4 matches, losing 2 consecutive friendlies.

Having mislaid some distant matches successful qualifying for the 2025 finals without scoring successful 1-0 defeats to DR Congo and Tanzania, Guinea look a pugnacious situation to execute successful Johannesburg, wherever South Africa undoubtedly caput successful arsenic favourites to unafraid maximum points.

South Africa signifier (all competitions):

Guinea signifier (all competitions):

Team News

After being included successful the preliminary squad, Mosimane excluded Lyle Foster from the last radical to look Guinea and Eritrea implicit the coming 7 days.

However, household names specified arsenic Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena and Relebohile Mofokeng are included successful the squad and should apt commencement successful goal, midfield and attack, respectively.

Bafana Bafana besides invited 5 caller faces: Lebone Seema, Brooklyn Poggenpoel, Yanela Mbuthuma, Puso Dithejane and Tashreeq Matthews are each portion of the radical that volition commence the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with Dithejane’s directness and versatility crossed the onslaught making him an intriguing enactment for Mosimane.

Serhou Guirassy headlines Guinea’s squad, and the 30-year-old guardant aims to statesman the qualifying bid positively.

However, successful summation to the visa issues that affected preparation, Duarte besides faced the refusal of Naby Keita to articulation the squad, portion Mohamed Mady Camara, Cheick Oumar Conde, Dembo Sylla, Morgan Guilavogui, Issiaga Sylla and Mohamed Bayo are each absent.

Ilaix Moriba returns to the squad for the archetypal 2 matches successful AFCON 2027 qualifying, and Aboubacar Keita could debut for the nationalist squad successful Johannesburg.

South Africa imaginable starting lineup:

Williams; Morena, Okon, Sibisi, Basadien; Mokoena, Sithole; Mofokeng, Zwane, Maseko; Rayners

Guinea imaginable starting lineup:

Sylla; Konate, Diakhaby, Sow, Keita; Toure, Moriba, Cisse; Sylla, Guirassy, Diaby-Fadiga

We say: South Africa 2-1 Guinea

Although Guinea person a unsafe attacking focal constituent successful Guirassy, their caller struggles to people connected the roadworthy and expanding off-field distractions render them susceptible successful Johannesburg.

With Mosimane keen to people his instrumentality with a connection triumph and a highly motivated Bafana Bafana broadside supported by beardown location backing, the hosts should person much than capable prime to unafraid maximum points.

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