Pitso Mosimane says Bafana Bafana have sufficient depth in defence and midfield but remain short of experienced, reliable goalscorers as they continue their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Mosimane returned for his second spell as South Africa coach with Saturday’s 2-1 Group D victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium. His next match is against Eritrea at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday (6pm SA time).
South Africa’s forwards have not scored in their past five matches, a run that began with the opening game of the 2026 Fifa World Cup against Mexico at Estadio Azteca in June.
That sequence continued against Guinea, when defenders Ime Okon and Samukele Kabini scored Bafana’s goals.
In the four preceding World Cup matches, midfielder Teboho Mokoena scored in the 1-1 draw with Czechia in Atlanta, while winger Thapelo Maseko scored in the 1-0 victory over South Korea in Monterrey. That result took South Africa into the knockout stages for the first time, before they lost 1-0 to co-hosts Canada in the last 32 in Los Angeles.
“I think [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi is back training [at Chicago Fire], let him play a match or two. Let’s stack these players and have three left-backs, three right-backs, five centrebacks and five midfielders,” Mosimane said.
“I wish I could say that with the strikers. I don’t really have that much in terms of experience.”
The current camp features three matches, giving Mosimane further scope to assess his squad when South Africa face Egypt in a friendly at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday.
He selected 30 players, both to strengthen the squad’s depth and cover possible injuries, and to become more familiar with the leading candidates for the national team. The coach had no warm-up matches before the camp.
Left-back Aubrey Modiba went off injured against Guinea, but Mosimane believes he has alternatives in that position.
“Aubrey is overloaded but we have Kabini and Kamogelo Sebelebele [the right-back man-of-the-match against Guinea] is younger and he can take load. Aubrey has a tight hamstring, which is not nice for us but we still have Fawaaz Basadien and Kabini,” he said.
“Hence the 30 players. You can see now people are falling off but we just played one match. I know it’s not easy [financially] for Safa to give me 30 players but if you want to be at this level, this is the reality.”
Mosimane said he would have preferred four matches, but wanted to maintain good relationships with clubs, including Glasgow Rangers, where defender Olwethu Makhanya has been impressing.
He referred to new [Germany coach] Jurgen Klopp calling up 42 players for four games, saying: “But I couldn’t do four matches because I don’t want the coach of Glasgow [Rangers] to be angry with me. But Klopp can do that and I am not Klopp.”
South Africa face Kenya away and at home in November, followed by Guinea away and Eritrea at home in March next year.
The 2027 Afcon will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. The hosts are taking part in the qualifiers to play competitive matches, rather than to qualify. In groups containing a host nation, only one other team will reach the tournament.
