Pitso Mosimane Names Two Bafana Bafana Stars Who Impressed in Eritrea Rout
- Pitso Mosimane singled out Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng for praise after Bafana Bafana's dominant win over Eritrea in Cairo
- Bafana Bafana now have 6 points from 2 AFCON 2027 qualifying matches, but Mosimane is managing a mounting midfield injury crisis
- Two midfielders picked up injuries during the Eritrea game, with one debutant stepping in to fill the gap ahead of a clash with Egypt
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Pitso Mosimane lauded the contributions of Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng following Bafana Bafana's commanding 5-0 win over Eritrea in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday.
Appollis was central to the performance, setting up three goals for Mofokeng, Iqraam Rayners, and Luther Singh. Mosimane highlighted the winger's ability to function effectively both out wide and through central channels, and drew particular attention to his assist for Singh, who made his return to the national side after an absence of more than five years.
Mofokeng, the Orlando Pirates attacker, scored twice in the opening half, marking his first goals for the Bafana senior squad. Mosimane described the performance as proof that Mofokeng is capable of delivering at international level.
Bafana's Midfield Disrupted by Injuries
The convincing result was not without cost. Mosimane is now navigating a significant shortage of central midfield options after both Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas were sidelined through injury during the camp.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
Aubaas lasted only 12 minutes against Eritrea before being replaced by debutant Brooklyn Poggenpoel. The youngster impressed on his first senior appearance and is now in contention to partner Sphephelo Sithole when Bafana face Egypt in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday.
Mosimane revealed that Aubaas was visibly distressed in the dressing room following the setback, having already missed the World Cup qualifying campaign through injury. The coach said the squad rallied around him and would continue to support his recovery.
Mosimane Turns to Zwane in Deeper Role
With options limited in the middle of the park, Mosimane was forced to deploy experienced attacker Themba Zwane in a deeper midfield position against Eritrea. The coach acknowledged that he considered substituting Sithole during the match but held back because Sithole was the only available central midfielder with senior international experience.
Despite the personnel challenges, Bafana have collected six points from their opening two Group D qualifying fixtures, scoring seven goals while keeping two clean sheets. Mosimane acknowledged the attacking returns were positive but maintained that the side still needs to sharpen its finishing.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: Briefly News
