Pitso Provides Update on Modiba's Injury

Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane provided an update on Aubrey Modiba’s injury after the defender was forced off during South Africa’s 2-1 victory over Guinea in their opening AFCON qualifier at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Modiba, a regular in Bafana’s squad, could not complete the match and was replaced by Samukele Kabini. Mosimane highlighted that the game placed significant demands on the full-backs, which proved too much for Modiba, who was suffering from a hamstring issue. “Aubrey is overloaded, my full-backs were on duty tonight. So, Aubrey is overloaded, but we have Kabini,” Mosimane said. He noted, “Sebelebele is younger, and he can take the load, this guy can run all the time. So, Aubrey’s got a tight hamstring, which is not nice for us, but at least we still have Basadien, and we still have Kabini.” Mosimane also addressed the uncertainty surrounding Modiba’s availability for upcoming matches. He expressed that having a 30-man squad provides the necessary depth to manage potential injuries. “Hence, we called 30 players, so you can see now, people are falling off, and we just played one match. I know it’s not easy for the football association to be giving me 30 players,” he explained. He compared his situation with that of Jurgen Klopp, who once called up 42 players for four friendly games, emphasizing the challenges he faces in balancing player availability and maintain relationships with their clubs. “But if we want to be at that level of the results, because this is the reality, this is the reality...” Mosimane mentioned that these friendly matches are crucial before the AFCON finals, indicating the necessity to keep the team intact until then.