Five Goals, One AFCON Ticket: Mofokeng Fires Bafana Ahead In Brutal Group D Race

CAIRO, Egypt – Bafana Bafana did more than collect three points in Cairo on Wednesday night. They piled up the goals that could ultimately decide whether South Africa reaches the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Relebohile Mofokeng scored his first two senior international goals as Pitso Mosimane’s side swept Eritrea aside 5-0 at Al-Salam Stadium, maintaining a perfect start to an unusually unforgiving qualifying campaign.

Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole, Iqraam Rayners and substitute Luther Singh completed the rout after Mofokeng’s first-half double, leaving South Africa with six points from their opening two Group D matches.

Bafana opened the campaign by beating Guinea 2-1 at Orlando Stadium before delivering an emphatic performance in Cairo four days later.

But this is no ordinary AFCON qualifying group.

Kenya, who are drawn alongside South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea, qualify automatically for the 2027 tournament as co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania.

Under CAF’s qualifying rules, only the highest-placed team in Group D other than Kenya will join them at the finals.

That effectively leaves Bafana, Guinea and Eritrea fighting for a single ticket.

And it makes South Africa’s five-goal night in Cairo potentially far more valuable than the scoreline alone suggests.

Mofokeng takes centre stage

Eritrea began brightly and briefly threatened to make life uncomfortable for Bafana.

But once South Africa settled, Mofokeng took over.

Oswin Appollis released the 21-year-old in the 19th minute and Mofokeng kept his composure to beat the goalkeeper and score his first senior international goal.

He had already struck the post six minutes earlier.

Then, in first-half stoppage time, Mofokeng produced the moment of the night.

Picking up possession inside the penalty area, he worked his way past several Eritrean defenders before firing into the bottom corner to send Bafana into the break 2-0 ahead.

South Africa returned for the second half looking for more.

Seven minutes after the restart, Appollis’ shot was parried by the Eritrean goalkeeper and Sithole reacted quickest to put away the rebound.

Rayners made it 4-0 in the 63rd minute after Mofokeng released him into space.

There was still time for one more.

Deep into stoppage time, Appollis delivered his third assist of the night, finding substitute Luther Singh at the back post to complete the 5-0 rout.

While Mofokeng supplied the goals that broke Eritrea, Appollis quietly produced an outstanding performance of his own, directly creating three of South Africa’s five goals.

Why five goals matter

Ordinarily, a 5-0 victory at this stage of AFCON qualifying would simply represent an excellent night’s work.

In Group D, it could eventually become something more.

CAF has confirmed that Kenya’s automatic qualification means only one additional country can advance from the group. South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea are therefore competing for that single remaining place.

Bafana have given themselves the strongest possible start.

They have beaten Guinea, their most obvious direct rival for the qualification spot, and followed that with five unanswered goals against Eritrea.

South Africa therefore sit on six points after two matches with a goal difference of plus six.

The opening 2-1 victory over Guinea could prove particularly important because it gave Mosimane’s side an early advantage over a direct rival.

There are still four qualifying matches to play, but Bafana have already done what Mosimane would have demanded from the opening window: take maximum points and build a healthy goal difference.

An Eritrean ‘home’ game in Cairo

South Africa’s second victory came away from home, although nowhere near Eritrea.

The match was staged at Cairo’s Al-Salam Stadium because Eritrea does not currently have a venue approved to host the qualifier.

CAF had confirmed before the opening qualifying window that Eritrea would stage its match against South Africa in Cairo.

That meant the Red Sea Camels surrendered much of the traditional advantage associated with playing at home.

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They had nevertheless shown in their opening qualifier that they could not simply be dismissed.

Eritrea held co-hosts Kenya to a 1-1 draw in Nairobi before facing South Africa, giving Mosimane reason to caution his players against complacency.

For a few early minutes in Cairo, that warning appeared justified.

Eritrea tested Bafana before South Africa gradually took control and turned the match into a one-sided contest.

Mosimane’s perfect return

The victory also continues an impressive start to Mosimane’s latest spell in charge of the national team.

The decorated former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach was reappointed in September, returning to the Bafana job after previously serving as interim coach in 2007 and then head coach following the 2010 World Cup.

He inherited a team coming off its first World Cup appearance since South Africa hosted the tournament in 2010.

Mosimane’s immediate assignment was AFCON qualification, and two games into that task his record is perfect.

Two matches.

Two victories.

Seven goals scored.

One conceded.

Six points.

More significantly, South Africa have already beaten Guinea, the team likely to have the biggest say in the race for the group’s sole non-host qualification place.

Injuries provide the only sour note

The emphatic victory came at a cost.

Bafana were already without Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba through injury when Bathusi Aubaas was forced off after just 11 minutes.

Brooklyn Poggenpoel replaced him and helped South Africa take control of midfield despite the early disruption.

The growing injury list will concern Mosimane, particularly with four qualifiers still to come.

Mokoena remains one of South Africa’s most experienced midfielders, while Aubaas has become an important part of the national team’s structure.

The depth of Mosimane’s squad could therefore become increasingly important when qualification resumes in November.

Bafana now turn to Egypt

South Africa will remain in Cairo before facing Egypt in an international friendly on Sunday.

The match should provide a significantly tougher examination than Eritrea and an opportunity for Mosimane to test his squad against one of Africa’s traditional heavyweights before qualification resumes.

The next AFCON qualifying window runs from 9 to 17 November, with the final two rounds scheduled for 22 to 30 March 2027.

The tournament itself will be staged across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027, bringing the Africa Cup of Nations back to East Africa for the first time in more than five decades.

For Bafana, however, the equation is already unusually clear.

Kenya have their place at AFCON guaranteed.

South Africa do not.

Neither do Guinea or Eritrea.

Three countries are effectively fighting for one remaining Group D ticket, and after two matches Bafana have six points and a six-goal advantage on the right side of the ledger.

That is why Wednesday night’s five goals mattered.

Mofokeng’s brace may have delivered the headlines in Cairo, but come March, the size of Bafana’s victory could prove almost as important as the victory itself.