Why Guinea are among Bafana Bafana's toughest African opponents ever

[p]Fans might expect Bafana Bafana to easily beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/guinea/lGDZlkOb/"]Guinea[/a] in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, but history suggests an altogether different scenario, with the West Africans traditionally among their toughest opponents.[/p][p]Pitso Mosimane takes to the dugout for the first time in the clash, and with only one qualification spot available from this pool, which also includes co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kenya/CIAJw1QK/"]Kenya[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eritrea/ns8a5zLl/"]Eritrea[/a], there is little room for error … especially at home.[/p][p]Bafana have met Guinea four times before and have a single win in that time to go with two defeats and a draw.[/p][p]That victory could be considered a hollow one as it came at the African Nations Championship finals last year, a now-defunct competition where nations could only select home-based players.[/p][embed guid="0a842875-6ae6-4279-b96f-dc8aa60ca4fc" url="https://x.com/SAFA_net/status/2100531149915250747?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]It meant Guinea had none of their overseas-based stars, such as Borussia Dortmund striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guirassy-serhou/YXRCmup6/"]Serhou Guirassy[/a], and, to be honest, there is a debate over whether it should even be in the record books given the restrictions on team selection.[/p][p]The teams first met at the 2006 AFCON finals during the disastrous Bafana campaign under coach Ted Dumitru, when they lost all three group-stage games without scoring a goal.[/p][p]Guinea beat them 2-0, though both goals came in the final 12 minutes.[/p][p]Guinea won a friendly clash in Atteridgeville 1-0 two years later during the equally disastrous reign of Brazilian coach Joel Santana, and the teams also played to a 0-0 friendly draw in Belgium under Hugo Broos, though Bafana really should have won that day.[/p][p]Then came the CHAN win as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maema-neo/veSlSVcr/"]Neo Maema[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kutumela-thabiso/hOuOPokI/"]Thabiso Kutumela[/a] were on target as Bafana finally scored against Guinea at the fourth attempt.[/p][infobox id="db74bfd9-cd62-42c7-8f2b-4dfcbe20d17f" /][p]Bafana have met 49 African nations in the past, and only six hold winning head-to-head records against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a]. Guinea are one of those.[/p][p]The other five are [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/EBE2Xb3l/"]Nigeria[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zambia/zBS458hb/"]Zambia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mauritania/Q5QPxhPn/"]Mauritania[/a].[/p][p]The fact that Bafana have managed only two goals in four meetings means they have their joint-lowest scoring rate against Guinea of any African country they have faced at least four times, alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tanzania/KzAbFwJ7/"]Tanzania[/a], against whom they have also scored twice in four encounters.[/p][p]South Africa's 25% win rate against Guinea is also among their lowest against African opposition. Only Mauritania, Nigeria, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/algeria/nc87N1BR/"]Algeria[/a], Senegal and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sierra-leone/0W8SXIIf/"]Sierra Leone[/a] have a lower percentage, while Côte d'Ivoire and Tanzania share the same figure.[/p][p]Bafana will still expect to win at home, but this will certainly be no easy ride.[/p][p] [/p][infobox id="584d9683-f419-4696-8cb3-c155213092a0" /]