{"id":42270,"date":"2026-09-30T13:55:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T11:55:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=42270"},"modified":"2026-09-30T13:55:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T11:55:24","slug":"bafana-bafana-vs-eritrea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/bafana-bafana-vs-eritrea\/","title":{"rendered":"Bafana Bafana vs Eritrea: Pitso Mosimane Identifies Ali Sulieman as Key Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has identified Eritrea striker Ali Sulieman as one of the main threats South Africa must contain when the teams meet in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.<\/p><div id=\"gaute-1263278056\" class=\"gaute-after-paragraph-1 gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa face Eritrea at Al Salaam Stadium in Cairo in their second Group D match after opening their qualifying campaign with a 2 to 1 victory over Guinea in Gauteng. Eritrea started their campaign with a 1 to 1 draw against Kenya, with Sulieman providing the assist for their goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The match gives Bafana an opportunity to build on their winning start while Eritrea will be looking for their first victory of the group stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/bafana-bafana-beat-guinea\/\"><strong>ALSO READ: Bafana Bafana Beat Guinea as Mosimane Turns Attention to Eritrea 2027 AFCON Qualifier<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pitso Mosimane Warns Bafana About Ali Sulieman<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane said Bafana cannot afford to underestimate Eritrea despite South Africa entering the fixture after victory over Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bafana coach highlighted 26 year old Sulieman, who plays his club football for Egyptian side Al Masry, as one of the players requiring particular attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sulieman scored three goals against Eswatini over two legs to help Eritrea qualify for the group stage. He then provided the assist for Nahom Girmai to score in Eritrea&#8217;s 1 to 1 draw with Kenya in Nairobi on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane said Sulieman&#8217;s pace and ability to shoot with either foot make him a significant attacking threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey have a striker who scores all the time. He is fast and shoots from any angle with his left or right foot,\u201d Mosimane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also highlighted Sulieman&#8217;s ability from set pieces and penalties, saying he is one of the players Bafana will have to monitor closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eritrea&#8217;s Draw Against Kenya Offers Bafana a Warning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eritrea&#8217;s opening result against Kenya has given South Africa an indication of the challenge they could face in Cairo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Girmai put Eritrea ahead before Kenya found a late equaliser to secure a 1 to 1 draw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane said the result showed why South Africa must respect their opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey gave Kenya a scare also. Kenya had to equalise at the end in Kenya. It shows you that you have to respect them because Kenya are a good team,\u201d Mosimane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bafana coach has called for the same level of commitment his players showed against Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3900685754\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bafana Looking to Build on Guinea Victory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa opened their Group D campaign with a 2 to 1 victory over Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane was pleased with the result and the attitude of his players but acknowledged that Bafana still have areas that need improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa created several opportunities against Guinea but failed to convert all of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane said the team must remain positive while showing Eritrea the same respect it gave Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe missed a few chances and we also need a bit of improvement like any other team. But we must stay positive,\u201d Mosimane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He added that his players need to continue working hard and representing South Africa with the same attitude they displayed in their opening qualifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bafana Face Injury Changes Against Eritrea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa will be without two Mamelodi Sundowns players for the Eritrea fixture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Left back Aubrey Modiba and midfielder Teboho Mokoena picked up injuries during the victory over Guinea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their absence means Mosimane will need to make changes to the side for Wednesday&#8217;s match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Samukele Kabini, who came off the bench to score the winner against Guinea, could be considered as an option following Modiba&#8217;s injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bathusi Aubaas is another option available to Mosimane and could replace Mokoena in midfield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The changes will test Bafana&#8217;s squad depth as the national team attempts to maintain its winning start to the qualifying campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Eritrea Match Matters for Bafana<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa and Eritrea are competing in Group D alongside Guinea and Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bafana already have three points after beating Guinea, while Eritrea collected one point from their opening draw against Kenya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wednesday&#8217;s result will therefore influence the early Group D standings as the teams compete for qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane has made it clear that South Africa cannot base its approach on Eritrea&#8217;s reputation or ranking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, Bafana will need to focus on their own performance while limiting the opportunities available to players such as Sulieman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coach said the attitude displayed against Guinea will again be important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am happy we got the result. The attitude was good so we need the same attitude against Eritrea,\u201d Mosimane said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3900685754\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What This Means for Gauteng Residents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For football supporters across Gauteng, the Eritrea match comes just days after Bafana opened their qualifying campaign with victory on home soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several players in Mosimane&#8217;s squad are also familiar to Gauteng football supporters through their involvement with clubs based in the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The injuries to Mamelodi Sundowns players Modiba and Mokoena will be particularly notable, with both unavailable for the second qualifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second successive victory would give Bafana another positive result in the early stages of the qualifying campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Eritrea&#8217;s draw against Kenya and the recent form of Sulieman mean South Africa will need to manage the fixture carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bafana Bafana vs Eritrea Match Details<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key details for Wednesday&#8217;s qualifier are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Match:<\/strong> Eritrea vs South Africa<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Competition:<\/strong> 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Group:<\/strong> Group D<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Date:<\/strong> Wednesday, 30 September 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Venue:<\/strong> Al Salaam Stadium, Cairo, Egypt<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa head into the fixture with three points from their opening match, while Eritrea have one point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The encounter will be Bafana&#8217;s second match of the Group D qualifying campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-149x84.png 149w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236-450x253.png 450w, https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/image-236.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/100064262906664\/posts\/game-day-%EF%B8%8F-afcon2027qualifiers-eritrea-vs-bafana-bafana-wed-30-sep-from-1730-sab\/1522134916605257\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bafana Bafana vs Eritrea FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When do Bafana Bafana play Eritrea?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bafana Bafana face Eritrea on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at Al Salaam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is Ali Sulieman?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ali Sulieman is a 26 year old Eritrean striker who plays for Al Masry in Egypt. He scored three goals against Eswatini over two legs and provided an assist against Kenya in Eritrea&#8217;s opening Group D qualifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why has Pitso Mosimane warned Bafana about Sulieman?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mosimane highlighted Sulieman&#8217;s pace, ability to shoot with either foot and threat from set pieces and penalties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did Bafana perform in their opening qualifier?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa defeated Guinea 2 to 1 in their opening Group D match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Bafana players are injured?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aubrey Modiba and Teboho Mokoena picked up injuries against Guinea and will miss the Eritrea fixture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3900685754\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bafana Turn Attention to Eritrea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bafana Bafana enter Wednesday&#8217;s match looking to build on their victory over Guinea and maintain their positive start to the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Eritrea&#8217;s draw against Kenya has given Mosimane&#8217;s side a clear warning that their opponents cannot be underestimated, while Sulieman&#8217;s recent performances have made him one of the players South Africa will need to watch closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With Modiba and Mokoena unavailable, Mosimane will also need to adjust his team as Bafana target another positive Group D result in Cairo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has identified Eritrea striker Ali Sulieman as one of the main threats South Africa must contain when the teams meet in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":42276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"bafana bafana,Pitso Mosimane,salaam stadium","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[286,11830,11589],"ppma_author":[11575],"class_list":["post-42270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-bafana-bafana","tag-pitso-mosimane","tag-south-africa-sports"],"authors":[{"term_id":11575,"user_id":23,"is_guest":0,"slug":"nomthandazo","display_name":"Nomthandazo Ntisa","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ec3262463e8ed5ea26dca074ed7eff95ffede057639be73a77f7896ccd06170f?s=96&r=g","author_category":"1","first_name":"Nomthandazo","last_name":"Ntisa","user_url":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/","job_title":"Content Editor","description":"Nomthandazo Ntisa is a journalist and Content Editor at What's On G with more than six years of experience in journalism, digital publishing, and content strategy. She covers the people, places, events, and issues shaping Gauteng - producing stories that help readers understand and connect with life across the province."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42270"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42275,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42270\/revisions\/42275"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42270"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=42270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}