Bafana draw Benni McCarthy’s co-hosts Kenya in 2027 Afcon qualifiers

Bafana Bafana have been drawn in Group D in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations in East Africa, along with tough Guinea and coach Benni McCarthy’s co-hosts Kenya.

Minnows Eritrea complete the group that was finalised in the draw at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday.

A potential complication for Bafana is that, given the presence of hosts and automatic qualifiers Kenya, who are playing in the qualifying programme along with co-hosts Uganda and Tanzania only to remain competitive, only one team will progress from Group D.

Bafana legend McCarthy, the national team’s all-time top scorer, has coached Kenya from March 2025. He has two other South Africans in his coaching staff − former Cape Town City and Richards Bay coach Vasili Manousakis, who is his assistant coach, and former Orlando Pirates, Bidvest Wits and Bafana star Moeneeb Josephs, who is the goalkeepers coach.

SA are the highest-ranked side in Group D, at 60 (Fifa) and 11th in Africa. They are also the only side in the group to have won an Afcon, in 1996.

Guinea were the 1976 runners-up who have been consistently competitive in the Afcon in the last 20 years, with the quarterfinal finishes in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2023 and last 16 placings in 2019 and 2021. They are ranked 80th in the world and 15th in Africa.

Kenya have never progressed past an Afcon group stage in six finals appearances. They are ranked 111th in the world and 25th in Africa.

Eritrea, a country established in 1993, have never qualified for an Afcon and are ranked 184th in the world and 48th in Africa.

The 2027 Afcon is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17 next year.

2027 Afcon qualifying Group D: South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea