Bafana Bafana have continued their ascent in the latest provisional FIFA world rankings following a flawless international window, winning all three matches under new head coach Pitso Mosimane.
Pitso Mosimane’s men came into the international break placed 54th in the world before embarking on a three-match schedule in late September and October
Victories over Guinea, Eritrea, and Egypt have now lifted the South African national team six places up in the live rankings.
Bafana opened their qualifying campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium before delivering a dominant performance in Cairo, thrashing Eritrea 5-0 in their 2027 CAF Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] Group D qualifier.
South Africa wrapped up the international break with a statement 1-0 win against host nation Egypt in a high-profile friendly tie in Cairo on Sunday.
The result marked a third consecutive victory for Mosimane since returning to the Bafana helm—14 years after his initial tenure between 2010 and 2012.
BAFANA BAFANA MOVE TO 48TH IN FIFA WORLD RANKINGS
The surge in form has seen Bafana climb to 48th in the provisional world rankings, effectively leapfrogging South American side Venezuela.
However, the rankings remain provisional ahead of FIFA’s official publication scheduled for Wednesday, 7 October. FIFA maintains that live rankings are subject to final confirmation until all fixtures are formalised as international “A” matches.
South Africa will shift their focus to November 2026, when they face back-to-back 2027 AFCON qualifying fixtures against Kenya, who are coached by Bafana legend Benni McCarthy.
Mosimane reckons that South Africa’s upcoming back-to-back AFCON qualifiers against Kenya will make or break their qualification campaign, acknowledging that Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy will present a tough test.
“We have to qualify for AFCON. It looks good now, but we haven’t arrived. We have Kenya back-to-back,” said Mosimane in a post-match interview following their 1-0 win over the Pharaohs.
“Benni will never allow us to win easily. He’s a fighter by nature. Those two games will determine our fate before we go to Guinea.”
With Bafana maintaining a 100% record in Group D, winning both opening matches, Mosimane’s men sit top of the group standings with six points as they continue their push for 2027 AFCON qualification.
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