South Africa continued their strong start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign with a convincing 5–0 victory over Eritrea in Cairo on Wednesday.
Relebohile Mofokeng was the standout performer, scoring twice in the first half to put South Africa firmly in control. Sphephelo Sithole, Iqraam Rayners and substitute Luther Singh also found the net as Bafana Bafana completed a comfortable victory at the Al-Salam Stadium.
The result followed South Africa’s 2–1 victory over Guinea in their opening Group D fixture on Saturday. The back-to-back wins give the team six points from two matches, leaving them with a perfect start to the qualifying campaign.
South Africa’s victory also strengthens their position in a group that includes Guinea, Eritrea and co-hosts Kenya. Kenya are already guaranteed a place at the 2027 finals because they are among the three host nations.
As a result, the qualifying contest in Group D will determine which of South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea joins Kenya at the tournament.
Mofokeng made the difference early in the match, scoring twice during the first half and giving South Africa a comfortable advantage before the break. His performance added to his growing importance within the national team.
South Africa continued to dominate after the interval, with Sithole extending their advantage before Rayners added another goal. Singh then came off the bench and completed the scoring.
Coach Pitso Mosimane will be pleased with the attacking display, although the team also suffered an early injury setback. Bathusi Aubaas was forced off after only 11 minutes and was replaced by Brooklyn Poggenpoel. Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba were also unavailable because of injuries.
The five-goal victory gives South Africa an important goal difference advantage as the qualifying campaign continues. The team will now look ahead to their remaining fixtures as they attempt to secure their place at the 2027 continental championship.
The 2027 AFCON finals will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027. The tournament will mark the return of the competition to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted it in 1976.
For South Africa, the immediate objective is to maintain their momentum and finish the qualifying campaign strongly.
