AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Schedule for Bafana Bafana

The AFCON 2027 qualifiers schedule gives Bafana Bafana a busy end to September and October. In all, South Africa play Guinea on 26 September, Eritrea on 30 September and Egypt in a friendly on 4 October. The dates below come from SAFA, and later dates come from our fixture data.

What is the AFCON 2027 qualifiers schedule for Bafana Bafana?

Bafana have six group matches in the qualifiers, against Guinea, Eritrea and Kenya, home and away. Our fixture data lists these dates. Kick-off times are converted to SAST.

Saturday, 26 September 2026: South Africa v Guinea, Orlando Stadium, 15:00 SAST.

Wednesday, 30 September 2026: Eritrea v South Africa, Al-Salam Stadium, Cairo, 18:00 SAST.

Wednesday, 11 November 2026: South Africa v Kenya, 19:00 SAST.

Sunday, 15 November 2026: Kenya v South Africa, 19:00 SAST.

Wednesday, 24 March 2027: Guinea v South Africa, 19:00 SAST.

Sunday, 28 March 2027: South Africa v Eritrea, 18:00 SAST.

These later dates may still change, so we recheck them before each window. Note that SAFA has not yet confirmed the November and March dates in the announcements we read. Our Bafana Bafana fixtures and results hub always has the latest.

Why are Bafana playing Eritrea in Cairo?

SAFA lists the Eritrea match at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, on 30 September. It is the second group match, and Bafana will already have played Guinea at home. Therefore, the friendly in Cairo four days later completes the trip.

What is the Egypt friendly?

South Africa will wrap up the window with an international friendly against Egypt at Cairo International Stadium on 4 October 2026, says SAFA. However, no kick-off time appears in the SAFA announcement. Our fixture data lists the game at 20:00 SAST, so treat that as provisional.

Who is in the squad for these matches?

Coach Pitso Mosimane named 30 players for the three matches. The squad assembled on 20 September, ahead of the Guinea game. Details are in our Mosimane Bafana squad report. Meanwhile, our South Africa national soccer team players page tracks the full player pool. In addition, the squad news is covered in the report linked above, so this page sticks to dates.

How does AFCON 2027 qualification work?

Only the highest-placed team other than Kenya will qualify from Bafana’s group. Kenya are co-hosts of the finals, along with Tanzania and Uganda, so they receive an automatic place, says CAF. Most groups send two teams through, but groups with a host nation send only the top team outside the host country.

In total, 48 teams play in 12 groups of four, and 24 teams are expected at the finals. The qualifiers use three FIFA windows: 21 September to 6 October 2026, 9 to 17 November 2026 and 22 to 30 March 2027. As a result, South Africa and Guinea are effectively fighting for one place. In addition, the Egypt game on 4 October is a friendly, so it does not count towards qualification. Only the six group matches do, which makes every point valuable.

How much time separates the matches?

The gaps are short in each window and long between them. Bafana play Eritrea four days after Guinea, and then Egypt four days after that. Then there are 38 days from the Egypt friendly to the Kenya home game on 11 November. The two Kenya games are four days apart, and the group then pauses for 129 days until Guinea away on 24 March. Finally, the Eritrea game follows four days later.

Which venues are still to be confirmed?

Our fixture data lists no venue for the November and March games. Consequently, we will not guess where South Africa v Kenya, Kenya v South Africa, Guinea v South Africa or South Africa v Eritrea will be played. We will update this page when SAFA confirms them, and the Bafana Bafana fixtures and results hub will carry the same details.

When does the tournament start?

AFCON 2027, called Pamoja 2027, runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. As a result, the qualifiers run right up to March 2027. For the opening game, read our Bafana Bafana v Guinea preview.

How much are tickets for the Guinea home match?

SAFA lists adult tickets at R100 and children’s tickets for under-12s at R40. Furthermore, a child’s ticket cannot be bought on its own, so buyers must add an adult ticket first. Hospitality packages are also available through SAFA’s booking details.

Frequently asked questions

When do Bafana Bafana play Eritrea?

Bafana play Eritrea at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, according to SAFA.

When is the Egypt friendly?

The friendly against Egypt is on 4 October 2026 at Cairo International Stadium.

Who is in the Bafana AFCON 2027 qualifying group?

South Africa are drawn with Guinea, Eritrea and Kenya, based on our fixture data.