The Bafana Bafana team will host Kenya, managed by Benny McCarthy, at the Orlando Amstel Arena stadium in Johannesburg. This match will be the first game in the series of qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place next month.
South Africa will face the Harambee Stars on Friday, November 13, with a scheduled kick-off at 18:00. Following this, the Bafana Bafana team will travel to Nairobi for the return match on Tuesday, November 17.
This double fixture promises to be an exciting confrontation. McCarthy will face his home country for the first time since taking charge of the Kenyan national team, while Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane will play against his former national team striker—it is a battle of two prominent figures in South African football.
The Kenyan national team, coached by McCarthy, will aim to disrupt Bafana's strong start in the qualification campaign. Mosimane's team, in turn, intends to maintain its position at the top of Group D.
Bafana is in first place after victories in both initial qualifying matches in September. Mosimane's team began its journey with a 2-1 win over Guinea in Johannesburg, followed by a convincing 5-0 victory over Eritrea in Cairo.
Furthermore, South Africa defeated Egypt 1-0 in a friendly international match during the same period, completing an ideal run of three wins. These results helped Bafana climb to 48th place in the latest FIFA world rankings, ranking 10th among African nations.
The upcoming games against Kenya will be of particular importance in determining the standings of Group D as the qualification campaign progresses. Mosimane is expected to announce the preliminary squad in the coming days as Bafana begins preparations for the two fixtures.
Given that McCarthy returns to South Africa in the colors of the opponent, and Mosimane seeks to maintain his winning start, the November matches promise to be a serious test for both coaches.