South Africa secured a commanding 5-0 victory over Eritrea at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, strengthening their campaign in Group D of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, according to MozzartSport and Fubo reporting. The emphatic win keeps Bafana Bafana firmly in contention for the top spot in the group, following their earlier 2-1 win over Guinea in Johannesburg.
Eritrea, who advanced to the group stage following a 4-1 aggregate preliminary win against Eswatini in March, struggled to contain South Africa’s attacking pressure from the opening whistle. While the hosts attempted to disrupt the flow with physical play and consistent fouling during the early exchanges, beIN Sports noted that South Africa quickly seized control of the pitch.
First-Half Dominance and Mofokeng’s Brace
The breakthrough arrived in the 19th minute. Relebohile Mofokeng fired a low, right-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom corner by the left post, following an assist from Oswin Appollis. The goal came shortly after Mofokeng had already warned the Eritrean defense by hitting the left post from outside the box in the 12th minute.
Despite two close attempts by Eritrea in response, South Africa maintained their relentless tempo. Right as the referee was preparing to signal halftime, Mofokeng struck again in the 45th+1 minute, delivering another precise low right-footed shot from the center of the box to double the visitors’ lead to 2-0 before the break.
Second-Half Goals Seal the Match
Bafana Bafana did not ease up in the second half. Yaya Sithole extended the lead to 3-0 in the 52nd minute with a powerful right-footed strike from the center of the box into the right side of the goal. The third goal effectively extinguished any remaining hopes for a comeback by the home side.
The pressure continued as Iqraam Rayners added the fourth goal in the 63rd minute off another assist from Oswin Appollis. Deep into injury time at the 94th minute, L. Singh capped off the performance by sealing the match with a fifth goal, cementing a dominant 5-0 clean sheet victory for South Africa in Cairo.