Orlando Stadium will host Bafana Bafana’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Guinea on Saturday, 26 September 2026, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed.
The fixture will mark Pitso Mosimane’s return to competitive action as South Africa head coach after being appointed as Hugo Broos’ successor.
Mosimane is beginning his second spell in charge of the national team and will have the opportunity to make his competitive return in front of a home crowd.
SAFA President Danny Jordaan has called on supporters to turn out in large numbers for the Guinea clash as the association begins a new chapter under Mosimane.
“We encourage families and fans to come in their numbers to support the team as we begin this new era under coach Pitso Mosimane,” Jordaan said.
Bafana Bafana will then travel to Cairo for their second Group D qualifier against Eritrea at Al-Salam Stadium on Wednesday, 30 September.
Mosimane’s squad will remain in Egypt for an international friendly against the hosts at Cairo International Stadium on 4 October.
The friendly will provide the new coach with an opportunity to assess his squad against stronger opposition during the same international window and further prepare the team for the qualifying campaign.
Ramoreboli joins Mosimane’s technical team
SAFA has also confirmed Morena Ramoreboli as Mosimane’s assistant coach as preparations for the qualifiers continue.
The appointment ends Ramoreboli’s tenure as head coach of Botswana, where he gained international experience after previously working with Jwaneng Galaxy.
Ramoreboli also has experience within the South African national setup and guided Bafana Bafana to the 2021 COSAFA Cup title.
Mosimane named a preliminary squad for the September qualifiers last week, with the final squad expected to be announced in the coming days.
The Guinea fixture will therefore represent an important first test of Mosimane’s second tenure, before the quick turnaround to face Eritrea in Cairo and the subsequent friendly against Egypt.
With Orlando Stadium confirmed as the venue, preparations are now focused on ensuring Bafana Bafana begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with a positive result under their new coach.
