Bafana Bafana begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea on Saturday, with history suggesting South Africa could face a tougher test than the FIFA rankings indicate.
The two nations will meet at Orlando Stadium on 26 September, in what will also be Pitso Mosimane’s first competitive match since returning as Bafana Bafana head coach.
South Africa currently sit significantly higher than Guinea in the FIFA rankings, but their previous encounters have produced an evenly balanced record.
Bafana hold narrow advantage over Guinea
South Africa and Guinea have met three times, with Bafana Bafana recording one victory, one draw and one defeat.
Their most recent encounter ended in South Africa’s favour, with Bafana claiming a 2-1 win at the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Neo Maema and Thabiso Kutumela scored for South Africa in that match, although both nations fielded squads consisting of locally based players.
Before that, the sides played out a 0-0 draw in March 2022.
Guinea’s only victory came at the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, when they defeated Bafana 2-0.
Bafana Bafana vs Guinea: Previous meetings
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 11 August 2025 | African Nations Championship | South Africa 2-1 Guinea |
| 25 March 2022 | Friendly | South Africa 0-0 Guinea |
| 22 January 2006 | Africa Cup of Nations | South Africa 0-2 Guinea |
The head-to-head record therefore gives South Africa a slight edge, but there is little between the sides across their three previous meetings.
FIFA rankings favour Bafana
On the current FIFA rankings, South Africa enter the qualifier as the higher-ranked nation.
Bafana are ranked 54th in the world, while Guinea sit at 81st.
That difference will provide South Africa with confidence, but the previous results demonstrate why the qualifier cannot simply be viewed through the rankings.
Guinea will be looking to disrupt Mosimane’s return, while Bafana will be targeting a winning start to their qualification campaign.
Mosimane begins another Bafana era
Saturday’s match takes on additional significance because it marks the beginning of Mosimane’s second spell in charge of the national team.
The coach has selected a 30-man squad for the opening AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, with many of the players coming from the group that represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Guinea, meanwhile, did not qualify for the World Cup.
South Africa will then travel to face Eritrea on 30 September as the qualifying campaign continues.
Every point matters in Group D
The Group D qualification picture adds another layer of importance to the opening fixture.
With Kenya already guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON as a co-host, CAF’s qualification format means the highest-placed eligible team other than Kenya in the group will secure qualification.
That makes the opening matches particularly important for Bafana.
A victory over Guinea would give Mosimane and his players an early boost, while dropping points could increase the pressure heading into the next fixture.
Kick-off at Orlando Stadium is scheduled for 18:00 on Saturday.
Can Bafana start Mosimane’s second spell with a victory?
South Africa have the higher FIFA ranking and a narrow head-to-head advantage, but Guinea have already shown they can make life difficult for Bafana.
Will South Africa claim all three points in Orlando?
