THE FUSE

Pitso Mosimane has responded cautiously to Guinea coach Paulo Duarte’s glowing assessment of Bafana Bafana after South Africa opened their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory. Duarte was impressed by the quality and intensity shown by Mosimane’s team during the encounter at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday. The Guinea coach went further by placing South Africa among his three best teams in Africa, alongside Morocco and Senegal. Mosimane welcomed the praise but made it clear that Bafana Bafana still have considerable work to do before they can fully justify such a lofty assessment. The response reflects the South Africa coach’s focus on progress and results rather than allowing early praise to raise expectations too quickly.