Bafana Bafana will renew acquaintances with familiar foes and a familiar face after being drawn against Guinea, Kenya and Eritrea in Group D of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The qualifying draw for the continental showpiece, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, took place in Egypt on Tuesday afternoon.
For South Africa, the headline fixture is undoubtedly the clash against Kenya, now coached by former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy. The encounter will see McCarthy come up against his home nation for the first time since taking charge of the Harambee Stars.
Hugo Broos’ men were placed in Pot 1 and avoided several of the continent’s heavyweights, but Guinea are expected to provide stern competition in the race for qualification. Eritrea complete the group.
There is, however, added relief for South Africa and the rest of Group D. With Kenya already guaranteed a place at the finals as co-hosts, three teams from the group will qualify for the tournament instead of the usual two.
EXCITING GROUPS IN AFCON 2027 QUALIFIERS
Elsewhere, the draw produced several mouth-watering groups across the continent.
Group C could be one of the toughest pools after former champions Ivory Coast and Ghana were paired together alongside The Gambia and Somalia.
Southern African interest will also be high in Group J, where Mozambique face continental giants Senegal, while Group I sees Zambia take on Algeria, Togo and Burundi.
Another intriguing Southern African battle awaits in Group H, where Botswana must negotiate clashes against Tunisia, Uganda and Libya.
Meanwhile, Group G promises fireworks after Cameroon were drawn alongside Comoros, Namibia and Congo-Brazzaville, while Nigeria headline Group M with Madagascar, Tanzania and Guinea-Bissau.
A total of 48 nations will compete in the qualifiers, with 24 teams advancing to the finals in East Africa.