South Africa secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Eritrea in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match. The match, held at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo, Egypt, saw Relebohile Mofokeng score his first two goals for South Africa. The 21-year-old Belgium-based midfielder broke the deadlock on 19 minutes and struck again at the end of the first half for a 2-0 lead.
Eritrea, ranked 134 places below South Africa in the world rankings, initially showed promise, testing South African captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams several times. However, once Mofokeng opened the scoring, South Africa took control of the match. The visitors dominated possession and created scoring opportunities, with Yaya Sithole, Iqraam Rayners, and Luther Singh also finding the net.
Sithole scored early in the second half, adding to South Africa's tally. Rayners, the South African forward, became the first to score in six matches, slamming the ball across Eritrea goalkeeper Yonathan Sultan. The Eritrean team struggled to contain South Africa's attacks, ultimately conceding five goals.
The win takes South Africa five points clear of Kenya and Eritrea in Group D. Guinea are yet to secure any points. However, Guinea can reduce the gap behind South Africa to three points if they beat Kenya in Conakry on Thursday. Kenya will automatically qualify from the mini-league as co-hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations, along with Tanzania and Uganda.
The match was hosted in Egypt due to Eritrea's lack of an international-standard stadium. The Al Salam Stadium, with a capacity of 30,000, was nearly empty for the matchday two fixture. South Africa's victory was significant, but they narrowly missed matching their record AFCON qualifying winning margin of 6-0 against the Seychelles.
Mofokeng's performance was a highlight of the match, with the young midfielder scoring his first two goals for South Africa. His Belgium-based team will look to build on this impressive win in future qualifying matches. The result also marked a significant improvement in South Africa's goal difference in the qualifying campaign.
The outcome of the match has significant implications for the qualifying campaign, with South Africa now in a strong position in Group D. The team's next match will be crucial in determining their final standing in the group. The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign continues, with more matches scheduled in the coming weeks.
Key points
- Relebohile Mofokeng scored his first two goals for South Africa in a 5-0 victory over Eritrea.
- South Africa are five points clear of Kenya and Eritrea in Group D.
- Kenya will automatically qualify from the mini-league as co-hosts of the Africa Cup of Nations.
