Pitso Dismisses Benni's Insights on Bafana's Play Style

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane expressed no concern regarding Kenya's head coach Benni McCarthy's understanding of his players and playing style in light of their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The match is scheduled for November 14 in Orlando, with a return leg set for November 17 in Kenya.

Mosimane's side leads Group D, while the East African nation is already confirmed as one of the co-hosts for the PAMOJA tournament. South Africa aims to extend its consecutive appearances at AFCON, having qualified for the 2023 and 2025 editions.

Having coached Bafana’s all-time top goal scorer during his initial tenure, Mosimane remarked that understanding a team's approach does not necessarily yield a competitive edge; rather, it provides insights into possible strategies. "I guess everybody knows how Barcelona plays right," he stated while naming the squad for McCarthy's team. "Everybody knows how Arsenal is playing, right? Everybody sees Bayern Munich. Everyone has got analysts—four analysts, people have got that, so they don’t know how they play? Everybody knows how you play."

"Knowing how Benni plays doesn't mean I have an advantage. It just gives me a little bit of data to recognize patterns and anticipate what’s likely to happen," he continued, highlighting that teams often evolve their strategies. "What if they changed the plan? Everybody knows how Pirates plays until you get to Orlando Stadium, right? So, it’s the way it is in football."