Bafana Bafana's new Mosimane era begins with crucial win over Guinea

[p]In a group that also contains 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 just one qualification spot available for the 24-team finals, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/guinea/lGDZlkOb/"]Guinea[/a] look to be Bafana Bafana’s most likely challengers.[/p][p]That makes this victory an important one for Bafana and a positive start to his third stint in charge for returning coach Pitso Mosimane.[/p][p]It was not a perfect performance, but Bafana created more than enough chances to win by a greater margin, though Guinea had their moments too.[/p][p]Bafana goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-ronwen/lQRX0UzA/"]Ronwen Williams[/a] had to make a smart save from Aliou Balde’s powerful angled drive in the first real opening for either side, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a] should have taken the lead in the ninth minute.[/p][image alt="Match statistics" id="b59e3dfb-a827-4eb0-9aad-4352f6f3c3ed" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="2aa84b84-1c43-4a23-81fa-e755a3052f75" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]Guinea lost the ball while trying to play out from the back, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mofokeng-relebohile/hx20yWyp/"]Relebohile Mofokeng[/a] picked up possession on the edge of the box. With only goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sylla-soumaila/KpsdHxL0/"]Soumaila Sylla[/a] to beat, he put his effort narrowly wide.[/p][p]The home side did take the lead their pressure deserved on the half-hour mark when a cross from deep was headed back across goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okon-ime/EFI44jgD/"]Okon[/a]. The ball struck teammate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yaya-sithole/8QxUv8F5/"]Yaya Sithole[/a] and fell kindly for the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hannover/dfNCCCzS/"]Hannover 96[/a] centre-back, who blasted his shot in off the near post.[/p][p]It was Okon’s second international goal on his 13th appearance, having also netted against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zimbabwe/APEVkV8h/"]Zimbabwe[/a] at the 2025 COSAFA Cup in Bloemfontein.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modiba-aubrey/tWExAYOC/"]Aubrey Modiba[/a]’s free-kick was saved by Sylla, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maseko-thapelo/fPICDHL5/"]Thapelo Maseko[/a] saw his angled shot drift wide.[/p][p]At the other end, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guirassy-serhou/YXRCmup6/"]Serhou Guirassy[/a] fired narrowly wide with a free-kick that had Williams well beaten, but the hosts deservedly led 1-0 at the break.[/p][p]South Africa missed several half-chances before Guinea equalised.[/p][infobox id="db74bfd9-cd62-42c7-8f2b-4dfcbe20d17f" /][p]Guirassy’s free-kick struck the wall, and the ball fell to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cisse-seydouba/E3s5eF5I/"]Seydouba Cisse[/a], who turned and fired past Williams with ease. There is no Video[/p][p]Assistant Referee in the qualifiers, and replays suggested Cisse may have been in an offside position, although they were inconclusive.[/p][p]The home side regained the lead in the 77th minute with a well-worked goal.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbuthuma-yanela/Yau3xnYk/"]Yanela Mbuthuma[/a] played [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kabini-samukele/Q7PoBDsT/"]Kabini[/a] in behind the Guinea defence, and the left-back, who had come on for the injured Modiba, coolly placed the ball into the back of the net.[/p][p] [/p][infobox id="584d9683-f419-4696-8cb3-c155213092a0" /]