Bafana Bafana Handed Tricky 2027 AFCON Qualifying Group Alongside Benni McCarthy’s Kenya

South Africa national football team have been drawn in a challenging Group D for the qualifiers of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Guinea national football team, Kenya national football team and Eritrea national football team.

The draw ceremony was conducted on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.

While Bafana Bafana enter the qualifiers as the highest-ranked nation in the group, the presence of tournament co-hosts Kenya creates a potentially difficult scenario. Kenya, alongside fellow hosts Uganda and Tanzania, are participating in the qualification programme purely to remain competitive ahead of the finals, having already secured automatic qualification.

As a result, only one nation from Group D is expected to progress automatically, increasing the pressure on South Africa to avoid any slip-ups during the campaign.

Kenya are currently managed by former Bafana Bafana striker and national team legend Benni McCarthy, who took charge in March 2025.

McCarthy’s technical team also includes two South Africans — assistant coach Vasili Manousakis and former Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs, who serves as goalkeeping coach.

South Africa are currently ranked 60th in the world and 11th in Africa according to the latest FIFA rankings, making them the strongest-ranked side in the group. They also remain the only nation in Group D to have lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, having famously won the tournament on home soil in 1996.

Guinea, however, are expected to provide serious competition. Ranked 80th globally and 15th on the continent, the West Africans have consistently been competitive at AFCON tournaments over the past two decades, reaching the quarter-finals on several occasions, including in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2023.

Kenya, ranked 111th in the world, are still searching for their first knockout-stage appearance after six previous AFCON participations.

Meanwhile, Eritrea remain the outsiders of the group. The East African nation, which gained independence in 1993, have never qualified for an AFCON finals tournament and are currently ranked 184th in the world.

The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, is scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July next year.

2027 AFCON Qualifying Group D
• South Africa national football team
• Guinea national football team
• Kenya national football team
• Eritrea national football team