Pitso Mosimane Warns Bafana Bafana About Benni McCarthy and Kenya Ahead of Double Header
- Pitso Mosimane ended his first international break back in charge of Bafana Bafana with three consecutive victories
- Bafana face back-to-back clashes against Benni McCarthy's Kenya, which Mosimane says will determine the team's AFCON fate
- Mosimane spoke candidly about the challenge McCarthy poses, warning his squad not to underestimate the Harambee Stars
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Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has cautioned his squad not to take the upcoming double header against Kenya lightly, saying that Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy will not make things easy for the South Africans.
Mosimane returned to the Bafana hot seat and immediately hit the ground running, guiding the team to three wins across six days during the international break. South Africa defeated Guinea 2-1, Eritrea 5-0, and Egypt 1-0, with Mosimane rotating his squad throughout.
**Bafana's AFCON Qualification on the Line**
The first two victories put Bafana in an ideal position in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign. However, with Kenya already confirmed as co-hosts and therefore already qualified, only one additional team from the group will progress, placing enormous pressure on the back-to-back fixtures against McCarthy's side.
Speaking to SAFA, Mosimane was measured in his assessment of the situation despite the positive run of results.
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"I know how football is played. Football is not how you start, it's how you finish. I'm a very conservative coach," he said.
"We have to qualify for AFCON. It looks good now, but we haven't arrived. We have got Kenya back-to-back. So, that's where everything will be, right."
**Mosimane's Respect for McCarthy
The Bafana coach reserved particular praise for his opposite number, describing McCarthy as a formidable opponent whose competitive instincts make him a serious coaching threat.
"Benni will never allow us to win easy. He is a fighter by profession. In football, he is a fighter. Benni has a big heart for football," Mosimane said.
He added that the two Kenya fixtures would be decisive for the campaign: "It's going to be difficult for us, those two games, they will determine our fate before we go to Guinea."
Mosimane also flagged injury concerns ahead of the clashes, expressing hope that several players would be fit in time. "Let's see how we deal with Kenya, those are the next two. I hope the injured ones come back. Mbokazi played and Teboho is not bad, he will come back also to play," he said.
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Source: Briefly News
