McCarthy set for emotional South Africa reunion after AFCON Draw

Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy during past action at Kasarani Stadium. [Courtesy, Harambee Stars/X]

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy is preparing for an emotional clash against his home country after Kenya was drawn with South Africa in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The draw held in Cairo on Tuesday placed Kenya in Group D together with South Africa, Guinea and Eritrea in what promises to be one of the most competitive pools of the campaign.

For McCarthy, the fixture against Bafana Bafana carries special meaning. The former striker remains South Africa’s all-time leading scorer and is regarded as one of the country’s greatest footballers. He will now lead Kenya against the nation where he made his name as a player.

Although Kenya has already secured a place at the 2027 AFCON as co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania, Harambee Stars will still take part in the qualifiers. CAF confirmed that only one additional team from groups involving the three hosts will qualify automatically for the tournament.

South Africa appear favourites to top Group D after recent strong performances on the continent, while Guinea are also expected to provide a serious challenge. Eritrea, though considered an underdog, could still surprise teams in the group.

Elsewhere, several heavyweight nations were handed difficult assignments. Group C looks like one of the toughest pools with defending champions Côte d’Ivoire drawn against Ghana, The Gambia and Somalia.

Senegal is expected to dominate Group J, which also contains Mozambique, Sudan and Ethiopia, while Nigeria headlines Group L alongside Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Morocco will fancy their chances in Group A against Gabon, Niger and Lesotho, while Egypt face Angola, Malawi and South Sudan in Group B.

The 2027 tournament will be staged across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, marking the first time East Africa will host AFCON in nearly 40 years.

AFCON Pools

Group A - Morocco, Gabon, Niger, Lesotho

Group B - Egypt, Angola, Malawi, South Sudan

Group C - Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia, Somalia

Group D - South Africa, Guinea, Kenya, Eritrea

Group E - Congo DR, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe

Group F - Burkina Faso, Benin, Mauritania, Central African Republic

Group G - Cameroon, Comoros, Namibia, Congo

Group H - Tunisia, Uganda, Libya, Botswana

Group I - Algeria, Zambia, Togo, Burundi

Group J - Senegal, Mozambique, Sudan, Ethiopia

Group K - Mali, Cape Verde, Rwanda, Liberia

Group L - Nigeria, Madagascar, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau