Bafana Bafana will be without key players through injury when they face Eritrea this afternoon in an away match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba have both been ruled out due to injury.
According to the South African Football Association (SAFA), Modiba picked up an injury during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Guinea at Orlando Stadium, while Mokoena experienced some discomfort throughout the match.
The injuries are a blow to the squad, which had already lost several players ahead of the Guinea clash.
Despite the setbacks, coach Pitso Mosimane has previously said he would not be deterred by injuries, as he had called up enough players for the AFCON qualifiers to provide cover in the event of injuries.
Mosimane said the team was hoping to build on Saturday’s performance but would not underestimate Eritrea.
“I am happy with the result we got. We got the result, and even the attitude was good.
“We need to show the same attitude against Eritrea because you can’t give respect to Guinea and not accord the same to an Eritrea side that just claimed a point away from home in Kenya,” said Mosimane.
Meanwhile, captain Ronwen Williams echoed Mosimane’s comments, urging the team to work hard against the East Africans.
He said the spirit and energy within the squad were good and that the team would maintain that approach throughout the qualifiers.
“The guys have been open to all the changes that the coach has implemented, and one way to see that is through the tactical agreements we had in the previous game, to see some of the things we worked on in training ahead of the game,” said the captain.
The match, which will kick off at 18:00 South African time, will be played at Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, as Eritrea does not have a CAF-accredited venue in the country.
