Pitso Mosimane must decide whether to risk starting central defenders Olwethu Makhanya and Ime Okon when Bafana Bafana host Kenya in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday.
Both players are one yellow card away from suspension, meaning another booking at Orlando Amstel Arena would rule them out of the return leg in Kenya.
Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00, with the second match taking place on Tuesday, 17 November, also at 18:00 South Africa time.
Okon was cautioned in the 44th minute of Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 victory over Guinea at the same venue in September. Makhanya received his yellow card during the team’s 5-0 win against Eritrea in Mosimane’s second match in charge.
As a result, either defender would miss Tuesday’s fixture if booked against Kenya on Friday.
The Confederation of African Football’s rules for the AFCON qualifiers state that a player who collects two yellow cards must serve a one-match suspension.
However, those disciplinary records will not carry into the Africa Cup of Nations tournament itself. Any yellow cards accumulated during the qualifying campaign will therefore be cleared before the finals.
The two matches against Kenya could have a significant bearing on Bafana Bafana’s qualifying position, but Mosimane’s immediate selection decision centres on whether to retain two defenders who are at risk of missing the return fixture.
