Bafana Bafana will face Kenya at Orlando Stadium on Friday in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Kenya have already qualified for the finals as co-hosts, and Benni McCarthy is now in charge of the Harambee Stars.
Respect for Kenya
Pitso Mosimane, the Bafana Bafana coach, said: “When a player or a coach's future depends on a game, you have to be very careful. Sometimes the players rally around their coach, and you can get the biggest surprise you could ever imagine. You have to be very careful when playing against an emotional team, especially one that has nothing to lose. Kenya are already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, so we have to be mindful of that. We are taking absolutely nothing for granted. You know Benni's personality and character. He has that will to win, that fighting spirit. He fights for his name and his reputation, and you have to respect that.”
McCarthy's coaching experience
Mosimane was in the technical team with Bafana towards the end of McCarthy's playing days with the side and praised McCarthy's coaching acumen and experience.
Mosimane said: “Benni is a good coach. He was coaching at Manchester United , which is a dream for any coach in South Africa. He was coaching Cristiano Ronaldo , so you have to respect the level at which he has coached. You also have to respect the level at which he played. He has a Champions League winner's medal. That tells you the kind of person we are talking about, someone with a fighting personality who wants to win at all costs. We have to respect that.”
Kenya's overseas players
Mosimane also said: “They have players who play in England, Spain, Wales, Sweden and France. You have to be very careful about underestimating teams like that. We should also learn from Cabo Verde qualifying for the World Cup. You have to respect every opponent. Everything is decided on the pitch, and until the referee blows the final whistle, you cannot say you have won the game. I have lost many games in my career against teams that were at the bottom of the league, the so-called minnows that nobody saw coming. That is why you have to respect every opponent. It doesn't matter what people say about a team or what their situation is. You have to go onto the pitch and do your job.”
