Bafana Bafana begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea at the Orlando Amstel Arena at 15:00, with Pitso Mosimane set to take charge of his first match since returning as head coach.
On paper, South Africa will go into the encounter as favourites, but Guinea are capable of making life difficult.
The West Africans could look to frustrate Bafana, defend in numbers and rely on set-pieces and counter-attacks to cause problems.
Here are three ways Bafana can beat Guinea
Utilise set-pieces
If Guinea sit deep and look to protect a point, clear-cut chances could be difficult to come by. That makes set-pieces particularly important.
Every corner and dangerous free-kick will need to be treated as an opportunity to score. Bafana have players capable of delivering quality balls into the box, while their physical attackers can cause problems for Guinea’s defence.
Taking advantage of dead-ball situations could be crucial in what may be a tight encounter.
Get the best out of Mofokeng
Relebohile Mofokeng has been scoring goals for Royal Union SG in Belgium and could play an important role for Bafana.
The youngster’s vision, passing ability and creativity could be vital against a Guinea side expected to defend compactly. Mofokeng has the ability to find spaces between the lines and unlock a defence with a pass, while his eye for goal gives Bafana another attacking threat.
Getting him involved regularly could give South Africa the creativity they need to break through.
Win the midfield battle
Bafana will also need to dominate the midfield if they are to take control of the match against Guinea.
South Africa have technically gifted wingers and forwards who can hurt Guinea, but they will need a steady supply of possession from midfield.
If Bafana can control the tempo, move the ball quickly and force Guinea to defend for long periods, opportunities should eventually open up.
If they keep Serhou Gulrassy quiet, then Mosimane‘s charges have a good chance to win.
The experience gained from the 2026 FIFA World Cup should also give this Bafana side confidence heading into the qualifier.
With home advantage, momentum and plenty of attacking quality, South Africa have the tools to put Guinea under sustained pressure. The challenge will be turning that superiority into goals when the opportunities arrive.