Bafana Bafana face 184th-ranked Eritrea in their second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday afternoon in Cairo, with a vastly different kind of test awaiting them.
Fresh off a solid 2-1 victory over Guinea that marked Pitso Mosimane’s return to the national dugout, Bafana step out in Cairo as clear favorites. But while Guinea boasted known quality all over the pitch, Eritrea present some rather unknown players, making them potentially just as dangerous.
If their performance against Kenya in their opening qualifier is anything to go by, Hisham Yakan’s side won’t go down without a fight against a Bafana outfit that has just broken into the top 50 of the FIFA rankings. In fact, Kenya were extremely lucky to escape with a point from their encounter against the Red Sea Camels in Nairobi.
As far as players to watch are concerned, while there aren’t many big-name players to mention, one name stands out for the hosts and that’s Egyptian top-flight side Al Masry’s 26-year-old winger Ali Sulieman. Sulieman has three goals and one assist in his last three matches for Eritrea.
Swedish-based midfielder Nahom Girmai is another player Mosimane will have to pay special attention to. The Degerfors midfielder scored Eritrea’s solitary goal in their 1-1 draw against Kenya.
Bafana Bafana and Eritrea meet on Wednesday afternoon at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo. Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00 SAST.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
