Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has once again urged his side not to take the game against Kenya lightly, as they have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as one of the hosts next year.
Kenya, alongside Uganda and Tanzania, will be co-hosting the Pamoja 2027 Afcon, with all three teams already qualified for the competition. Bafana are currently on top of their Group D with six points, after winning the opening two matches against Guinea and Eritrea.
Mosimane and his charges are aiming to complete a double against Kenya, but understand that the Harambe Stars have got nothing to lose and could hurt them if complacent.
READ: Pitso hints at not too many changes in Bafana, despite Mbokazi return
“It’s a tricky game. We are playing a team who have nothing to lose. They are already qualified, they have nothing to lose, they are playing without fear,” Mosimane said during a press conference on Thursday.
“They can go full out or frustrate us by making sure we don’t get a goal. Whichever way they approach it, you can’t tell them how they must play. They have resilience and can reinforce their defence, which they must do against us.
Nothing to lose, everything to gain
Mosimane added:
“If they go toe-to-toe, the result doesn’t matter as much to them, but it’s a big match for us, a tough game for us. We must have answers and must win the match if we want to go to the Afcon finals.”
READ: Benni McCarthy vows Kenya will make Bafana Bafana sweat Es’godini
Williams focused on early qualification
Bafana goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams echoed the words of his mentor, emphasising the importance of winning the two games to put themselves in a good position to qualify for the Afcon.
“Our group is a bit different to all the other groups. We know we’ve got Kenya in our group, and we know what that means,” Williams said.
“We need to keep going now and make sure that we maintain our position because we don’t want to get our calculators out next year in March, because it’s a very stressful moment.
“And, you know, if you can wrap it up as soon as possible, then you play with freedom, less pressure, and less stress. That’s when you can play at your best,” he added.
- Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane warned his team not to underestimate Kenya despite having already qualified for Afcon 2027 as co-hosts.
- Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are co-hosting the Pamoja 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and have all secured automatic qualification.
- Bafana Bafana currently lead Group D with six points after victories over Guinea and Eritrea.
- Mosimane described Kenya as a fearless team with nothing to lose, emphasizing the need for Bafana to be mentally prepared to win.
- Bafana captain Ronwen Williams stressed the importance of securing early qualification to reduce pressure and play freely.
Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has once again urged his side not to take the game against Kenya lightly, as they have already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as one of the hosts next year.
Kenya, alongside Uganda and Tanzania, will be co-hosting the Pamoja 2027 Afcon, with all three teams already qualified for the competition. Bafana are currently on top of their Group D with six points, after winning the opening two matches against Guinea and Eritrea.
Mosimane and his charges are aiming to complete a double against Kenya, but understand that the Harambe Stars have got nothing to lose and could hurt them if complacent.
READ: Pitso hints at not too many changes in Bafana, despite Mbokazi return
“It’s a tricky game. We are playing a team who have nothing to lose. They are already qualified, they have nothing to lose, they are playing without fear,” Mosimane said during a press conference on Thursday.
“They can go full out or frustrate us by making sure we don’t get a goal. Whichever way they approach it, you can’t tell them how they must play. They have resilience and can reinforce their defence, which they must do against us.
Mosimane added:
“If they go toe-to-toe, the result doesn’t matter as much to them, but it’s a big match for us, a tough game for us. We must have answers and must win the match if we want to go to the Afcon finals.”
READ: Benni McCarthy vows Kenya will make Bafana Bafana sweat Es’godini
Bafana goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams echoed the words of his mentor, emphasising the importance of winning the two games to put themselves in a good position to qualify for the Afcon.
“Our group is a bit different to all the other groups. We know we’ve got Kenya in our group, and we know what that means,” Williams said.
“We need to keep going now and make sure that we maintain our position because we don’t want to get our calculators out next year in March, because it’s a very stressful moment.
“And, you know, if you can wrap it up as soon as possible, then you play with freedom, less pressure, and less stress. That’s when you can play at your best,” he added.
