Bafana Bafana will take a month-long break from international football before returning to action in November, following a hugely encouraging start to Pitso Mosimane’s third spell as national team coach.
Mosimane could hardly have asked for a better opening three matches, with Bafana winning all three of their assignments since his return.
The first two were crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, followed by an international friendly against Egypt.
Bafana opened their Group D campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium on September 26 before producing an emphatic 5-0 demolition of Eritrea in Cairo four days later.
They then completed a perfect international window by beating Egypt 1-0 in Cairo on October 4, giving Mosimane three victories from three matches.
The results have put Bafana in a strong position at the top of Group D. South Africa collected the maximum six points from their opening two qualifiers, while Kenya are already guaranteed a place at the 2027 AFCON finals as co-hosts. Only the highest-ranked team among South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea will join Kenya from Group D at the tournament.
But after the busy opening window, Bafana now face a lengthy wait before they can continue their qualification campaign.
Their next assignments will be a back-to-back double-header against Kenya in November, with the first match scheduled for Wednesday, November 11, when South Africa will be the home side. The return fixture in Kenya is scheduled for Sunday, November 15. The venues for both matches are yet to be confirmed.
The November matches could prove decisive in determining who finishes as the leading qualifier in Group D.
The two encounters will also create an intriguing coaching battle between Mosimane and former Bafana striker Benni McCarthy, who is now in charge of Kenya.
For Mosimane, however, the priority will be maintaining the momentum generated during his first three matches.
After a difficult period surrounding the change in the national coaching setup, the three victories have provided an early indication that Bafana could be heading into a new and positive chapter under the experienced Mosimane.
The month-long break will now give the coach and his technical team time to assess the squad, monitor players at their clubs and prepare for what could be the most important two matches of the Group D campaign.
With six points already secured, Bafana return in November knowing that another strong showing against Kenya could put them firmly in control of their own AFCON destiny.