Pitsa Mosimane highly praised Relebokhile Mofokeng and Oswin Apollos after Bafana Bafana's 5-0 victory over Eritrea

The return of Bafana Bafana's coach, Pitso Mosimane, to his second home—Egypt—fuels his drive to succeed in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea, as well as in the friendly match against the host nation, Egypt.

Mosimane successfully completed a two-year spell with the African club Al Ahly, where he won six trophies, including two consecutive CAF Champions League titles—his second and third overall. This made him a favorite not only among the club's fans but also among the general public.

Returning to the country for the first time on international duty with Bafana to face Eritrea at Al Salam Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, and Egypt on Sunday, October 4, at Cairo International Stadium, Mosimane reacted to the warm reception he received across the country.

Before Wednesday's match, Mosimane stated: 'This is my second home.' He added that arriving at the airport brings back memories and tears, as if it were yesterday. He noted the incredible love shown by waiters, hotel managers, and people on the streets, emphasizing that Egypt turned out to be a good place.

The return to a familiar environment has undoubtedly added pressure on Mosimane to secure a victory in the second match and continue the streak following the triumph over Guinea in the first round of the 2027 AFCON qualifier, which took place last Saturday at Orlando Stadium Arena.

Eritrea ranks 184th in the world and 50th in Africa, significantly lower than Bafana's positions, which are 50th and 10th respectively. Nevertheless, Mosimane believes they can undermine Eritrea's position, which drew 1-1 against Kenya's co-host in the first match. He also believes that Ali Suleiman, who plays for the local top-division club Al Masry, poses a threat to the team's goals.

Mosimane stressed the importance of respecting opponents, noting that they qualified for the group. He acknowledged that Eritrea has a striker who consistently scores goals, plays in Egypt, is the top scorer, and possesses high speed, as well as being dangerous from set pieces. Therefore, the team must be vigilant.

A victory over Eritrea should significantly boost Bafana's confidence ahead of the match against Pharos. Despite Egypt not achieving continental success since 2010, they remain favorites in the match against Bafana.

Piso Mosimane reacted to the high praise given by the head of the Guinea national team, Paulo Duarte, who included South Africa among the continent's elite. Mosimane welcomed Duarte's decision, as he believes South Africa is among the top three teams in Africa after South Africa won the opening qualification match for AFCON 2027.

Duarte made this assessment after Guinea lost 2-1 to the Bafana team at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. He named South Africa alongside continental heavyweights such as Morocco and Senegal. In his post-match press conference, Duarte told reporters: 'For me, the top three teams on the continent are Morocco, Senegal, and South Africa.'

Mosimane, who returned to the head coach position of Bafana for the second time, expressed gratitude for the praise after his team achieved an important victory in Group D, but he quickly stressed that South Africa still has much to prove. Mosimane noted: 'If that is his assessment, it is humbling. We won the bronze medal [at AFCON 2023], so perhaps because of that, yes. But we still have a long way to go. We are a good team, we played well, but we are still building up.'

Bafana started its qualification campaign confidently: defender Imre Okon opened the scoring in the first half, and then Guinea equalized thanks to Seydoube Sisse. Substitute Samukele Kabini restored South Africa's lead in the 77th minute, securing Mosimane's victory in his first competitive match after returning to the national team.

This result could be decisive in Group D, which has a unique qualification dynamic, as co-host Kenya has already guaranteed its place in the final. In the next qualifying match, Bafana will face Eritrea in Egypt on September 30, while Guinea is scheduled to play against Kenya. For Mosimane, the priority is now building on success rather than focusing on praise, as despite three important points from one of the group's main rivals, the head coach understands that there is still a long road ahead before Bafana can consistently justify Duarte's high assessment.