Bafana Bafana supporters were surprised to learn that the South Africa squad had arrived in Kenya only 12 hours after their previous match, prompting questions about whether the players had enough time to rest and recover.
Pitso Mosimane’s side landed in the East African country on Saturday morning, shortly after Friday evening’s 2-2 draw with the Harambee Stars at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
The match was an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier and South Africa twice took the lead before being pegged back.
Bafana Bafana went ahead inside the opening 10 minutes when Kenya conceded an own goal. The Harambee Stars levelled shortly before half-time after Thabang Matuludi was judged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area.
Michael Olunga converted the resulting penalty, sending Ronwen Williams the wrong way to make it 1-1.
South Africa regained the advantage with just over 10 minutes remaining. Relebohile Mofokeng found the net to put the hosts on course for victory.
That lead did not last, however, as Ryan Ogam scored late on to earn Kenya a draw and leave Mosimane’s side frustrated after twice allowing their advantage to slip.
The result leaves Bafana Bafana at the top of their AFCON qualifying group with seven points, although their position could change once the other teams in the section have played.
South Africa will have an immediate chance to claim three points when they face Kenya again in the return fixture on Tuesday.
It was the team’s rapid journey to Kenya, rather than the result, that dominated the reaction from supporters on Saturday morning. The squad’s arrival so soon after the Friday night match led fans to question whether the players had been able to shower, sleep and recover before travelling.
“They didn’t rest after playing? I mean they could’ve left this morning hle,” @Kedibone__ wrote on X.
Another supporter, @Dark_Secret247, also questioned the timing of the departure, posting: “Did they even shower before leaving?”
