Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane was left frustrated after his charges surrendered a late lead to draw 2-2 with Kenya in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Friday night.
The South Africans appeared to be on course for a hard-fought victory before Ryan Ogam struck in the 89th minute to silence the home crowd and snatch a valuable point for the visitors.
The late setback was particularly painful for Mosimane, whose team created numerous scoring opportunities but failed to put the game beyond Kenya’s reach.
“Football tells you that it is not about ball possession, it is not about how many chances you create, it is about the chances you take,” Mosimane said.
“Kenya showed that they did not need much to cause an upset. The few chances they got, they used them. If you want to see how many chances we missed, it was a series.”
Bafana Bafana made a promising start and took the lead in the eighth minute when Kenya defender Amos Wanjala scored an own goal.
However, the visitors fought back and drew level shortly before half-time after captain Michael Olunga converted a penalty in the 42nd minute.
With the match finely balanced, South Africa regained the advantage in the 77th minute through Relebohile Mofokeng, who was later named Man of the Match.
But just when the hosts appeared to have secured all three points, Ogam struck in the 89th minute to leave Mosimane and his players disappointed.
Kenya coach Benni McCarthy was pleased with the result, believing that neither side would have been undeserving winners.
“In the end, I think it was a deserved draw for both teams. Whoever would have won this game, I do not think that people would have been angry or say one team was lucky,” McCarthy said.
“Over 90 minutes, both teams had their moments, both goalkeepers performed and kept their teams in the game.”
The former Bafana Bafana striker, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Thursday, will now turn his attention to Tuesday’s return fixture in Nairobi.
Despite dropping two valuable points at home, South Africa remain top of their qualifying group with seven points from three matches, while Guinea occupy second place with six points from the same number of games.
Bafana Bafana travelled to Nairobi shortly after Friday night’s encounter, knowing they will need to be more clinical in front of goal when the two teams meet again on Tuesday, November 17, 2026.