Pitso Mosimane has welcomed the recognition given to South Africa by Guinea coach Paulo Duarte, but says the Bafana Bafana still have plenty to accomplish despite beginning their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with victory.
South Africa defeated Guinea 2-1 at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday to make a winning start in Group D.
After the match, Duarte placed South Africa among what he considers the three leading teams on the continent, alongside Morocco and Senegal.
“For me, the three best teams on the continent are Morocco, Senegal and South Africa,” Duarte told journalists at his post-match press conference.
Mosimane, who has begun his second spell as South Africa coach, appreciated the assessment but was quick to temper the significance of the praise.
The Bafana coach pointed to the team’s bronze-medal finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations as one possible reason for Duarte’s opinion, while stressing that South Africa remain a work in progress.
“If that’s his analysis, it’s humbling,” Mosimane said. “We won the bronze medal [at AFCON 2023], so maybe that’s why, yes. But we still have a long way to go. We are a good team, we played well, but we are still building.”
South Africa’s performance against Guinea nevertheless gave Mosimane a positive start to his return to competitive international football with the national side.
The Bafana Bafana took the lead during the first half when Ime Okon, who plays in Germany, found the net.
Guinea responded after the interval, with Seydouba Cissé scoring to bring the hosts level and put the outcome back in the balance.
South Africa ultimately regained their advantage through substitute Samukelo Kabini.
Kabini scored in the 77th minute to restore the Bafana Bafana’s lead and secure three points from their opening Group D fixture.
The result gave Mosimane victory in his first official match since returning to the South Africa national team.
While Duarte’s assessment has placed the Bafana Bafana among the teams he regards as the continent’s leading sides, Mosimane’s response suggests that the South African camp remains focused on development rather than outside recognition.
His comments acknowledged the quality shown by the team against Guinea while making clear that the squad is still being built.
The victory provides South Africa with a positive foundation in the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign after they came through a competitive match against Guinea.
The Bafana Bafana had to respond after Cissé cancelled out Okon’s first-half goal, and Kabini’s late contribution eventually settled the contest.
For Mosimane, the opening victory also marked an important personal milestone as he began his second tenure with a competitive win.
Duarte’s comments have added further recognition to South Africa’s performance, with the Guinea coach placing them in the same group as Morocco and Senegal.
Mosimane, however, has emphasised that the team cannot afford to view that assessment as an indication that their work is complete.
Instead, he described South Africa as a good team that played well but remains in the process of being built.
The Bafana Bafana can now take confidence from their opening victory as their AFCON qualifying campaign continues, while Mosimane looks to develop the side during his second spell in charge.
For now, South Africa have three points from their opening match, while their coach has made clear that there is still considerable work ahead despite the strong start and the praise coming from the opposing camp.
