Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has downplayed the significance of his long-standing familiarity with Kenya coach Benni McCarthy ahead of their back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The first match is scheduled for Orlando Stadium next Friday, with the return leg set for Nairobi the following Tuesday.

Mosimane and McCarthy share a deep history in South African football. The two worked together at Bafana Bafana when Mosimane was an assistant coach and McCarthy was still an active player. They later faced each other from the technical areas during Mosimane’s highly successful period at Mamelodi Sundowns and McCarthy’s time in charge of Cape Town City.

Despite this shared background, Mosimane insisted that knowing an opponent well does not automatically create a decisive advantage. Speaking during the announcement of his final 27-man squad at SABC Studios on Thursday, he used well-known European clubs to illustrate his point.

“I guess everybody knows how Barcelona play, right? Everyone knows how Arsenal play. Everyone knows how Bayern Munich play. Everyone has analysts — even four. Everyone knows how you play,” Mosimane said. “It doesn’t mean that when I know an opponent, I have an advantage. No, it just gives me a little bit of data and I understand certain patterns and what is most likely to happen.”

To reinforce his argument, the Bafana coach pointed to Orlando Pirates’ formidable home record this season. The Buccaneers have yet to drop a single point at Orlando Stadium across all competitions. That strong home form has kept their Betway Premiership title defence on track and helped them progress in multiple cup competitions, including reaching the CAF Champions League group stage, the MTN8 final and the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-finals.

“Everyone knows Pirates play until they get to Orlando Amstel Arena,” Mosimane said. “So it’s the way it is in football.”

Mosimane himself made good use of the Orlando Stadium atmosphere in his first match of his second stint as Bafana Bafana coach. He will be eager to maintain that positive home record against McCarthy’s Kenya side. McCarthy, for his part, has fond memories of the venue from his playing days with Orlando Pirates and his later coaching career in the Premier Soccer League.

While the mutual knowledge between the two coaches may offer some insight into patterns and tendencies, Mosimane’s message was clear: in football, familiarity alone does not win matches. Execution, preparation and the ability to adapt on the day remain far more important.

Source:

https://iol.co.za/sport/soccer/2026-11-06-mosimane-invokes-pirates-orlando-fortress-to-play-down-familiarity-with-mccarthy/