Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana era is off to a winning start, but the battle for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is already heating up. South Africa fought their way to a 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, with defenders Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini finding the net to hand Mosimane three valuable points in his return to the national-team dugout. Okon broke the deadlock in the 30th minute before Guinea responded through Seydouba Cisse in the…

Pitso Mosimane has unveiled his first Bafana Bafana squad since returning as head coach, with Mamelodi Sundowns providing the largest contingent for South Africa’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Mosimane named a 30-man squad at Safa House in Nasrec, Johannesburg on Thursday for matches against Guinea on September 26 and Eritrea on September 30, with an international friendly against Egypt scheduled for October 4. Sundowns have 11 players in the squad, including goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, defenders Aubrey…

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has attributed delays in paying Bafana Bafana players and support staff their 2026 FIFA World Cup (FWC26) bonuses to outstanding international tax compliance requirements in the United States and Mexico. SAFA said in a statement on Monday the bonuses have not been withheld because of a lack of funds, but because the association is still required to comply with federal and state tax laws in the US, as well as Mexican tax legislation, following…

Pitso Mosimane’s return to the Bafana Bafana hot seat will be put to an immediate test when South Africa begins its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign later this month, with the newly appointed coach wasting little time in putting his stamp on the national team. Mosimane, who was officially unveiled as Bafana coach this week, announced his first preliminary squad on Friday, selecting a 35-man group for crucial qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea. The squad gives an early…

Pitso “Jingles” Mosimane has returned to the Bafana Bafana hot seat with a powerful declaration that his second coming to the national team is about something far bigger than football, a club or even himself. The highly decorated South African coach was officially unveiled as the new Bafana Bafana head coach on Tuesday during a media briefing at SAFA House in Nasrec, Johannesburg, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty over who would succeed Belgian coach Hugo Broos. For the…

Pitso Mosimane should be the next Bafana Bafana head coach, so says South Africa’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie. McKenzie was speaking to SABC Sport at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday morning when the national team arrived home from the United States of America (USA), where they participated in the FIFA World Cup. Bafana Bafana reached the last 32 round with Belgian Hugo Broos in charge, but he has hinted that he is retiring after the tournament, igniting debate about…

South Africa sports minister Gayton McKenzie says Bafana Bafana deserve some credit following their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mckenzie’s statement comes a day after Bafana Bafana lost 1-0 to Canada in the round of 32 of the ongoing tournament in North America. However, he notes that more should be done to discover the hidden talent across the country, to produce a better squad in future. “It is with enormous pride and a heart full of gratitude that…

Bafana Bafana picked up two red cards and five yellow cards during the FIFA World Cup, which cost approximately R1.5 million. Prior to the 2026 edition, the world football governing body FIFA introduced monetary sanctions for yellow and red cards. FIFA confirmed that a yellow card carries a fine of $10, 000, an indirect red-card (dismissal due to two yellow cards) $15, 000 and a straight red-card costing the association $20, 000. In the opening match against Mexico on 11…

Bafana Bafana bowed out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a heartbreaking stoppage-time 1-0 defeat to tournament co-hosts Canada in a Last 32 match played at the Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday. Stephen Eustáquio broke South African hearts when he powered Canada to the Last 16 of the global tournament following his goal scored in the 92nd minute. The Canadians will now face either Morocco or the Netherlands in the next round. “We are disappointed because we wanted to…

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident Bafana Bafana can reach the Last 16 stage of the FIFA World Cup. The nation will pin its hopes on Hugo Broos and his men against Canada on Sunday evening. The match takes place in Los Angeles, USA and will kick off at 9 PM South African time. “Bafana Bafana will put our whole country and our entire nation on the global map once again,” said Ramaphosa to the SABC. “But this time…