Bafana Bafana’s ‘so-so’ record against Guinea

Bafana Bafana will open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign against Guinea on Saturday, 26 September, with South Africa facing an opponent that has proved difficult to overcome in previous meetings.

The match at Orlando Stadium will also mark the start of Pitso Mosimane’s second spell as Bafana Bafana head coach.

READ | Pitso Mosimane’s expected first Bafana Bafana starting XI vs Guinea

CAF has confirmed South Africa will host Guinea in the opening round of Group D, before travelling to face Eritrea on Wednesday, 30 September.

On paper, South Africa enter the contest with the far higher FIFA ranking.

The latest official FIFA rankings place Bafana 54th in the world, while Guinea are ranked 81st.

However, previous meetings between the two nations suggest Bafana Bafana cannot afford to take their opponents lightly.

Bafana Bafana’s mixed record against Guinea

A look at the head-to-head record shows that the teams have met three times, with South Africa winning once, drawing once and losing once.

Their most recent meeting came at the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), where South Africa claimed a 2-1 victory.

Neo Maema and Thabiso Kutumela were on target for Bafana in that encounter, although both teams were made up of locally based players.

The previous senior international meeting ended in a 0-0 draw in March 2022.

Bafana Bafana’s only defeat in the three meetings came at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, when Guinea recorded a 2-0 victory.

That history provides an additional talking point ahead of Saturday’s qualifier, despite South Africa’s higher current world ranking.

Head-to-Head Results

Date	Event	Match	Score
11 Aug 2025	African Nations Championship	South Africa vs Guinea	2-1
25 March 2022	Friendly	South Africa vs Guinea	0-0
22 Jan 2006	Africa Cup of Nations	South Africa vs Guinea	0-2

New era under Pitso Mosimane

The Guinea clash will be Mosimane’s first competitive match since returning to the Bafana Bafana coaching position.

He has selected a 30-man squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, with much of the group drawn from the players who represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Guinea did not qualify for this year’s World Cup.

The opening Group D fixtures carry added significance because Kenya, one of the 2027 AFCON co-hosts, has already qualified automatically.

CAF has confirmed that only the highest-placed team other than Kenya in Group D will qualify for the tournament, increasing the importance of the early meeting between South Africa and Guinea.

Saturday’s match therefore gives Mosimane an immediate opportunity to begin his return with a positive result, but Guinea’s previous record against Bafana shows that South Africa will have to earn it.