Pitso Mosimane dismisses Benni McCarthy's advantage ahead of Bafana clash

McCarthy, who previously served as Bafana assistant coach, knows several of the South African players and has an understanding of the team's football philosophy. His appointment as Kenya head coach has therefore added an interesting dimension to the upcoming Group D clash.

However, Mosimane is not concerned about his former striker having inside knowledge of the national team, insisting that modern football makes it difficult for coaches to keep their tactical approaches secret.

The experienced tactician believes that international teams have access to extensive analysis and scouting resources, meaning opponents can easily study one another's playing patterns.

Speaking after announcing his squad for the November fixtures, Mosimane used some of Europe's biggest clubs to explain why knowing an opponent's style does not necessarily translate into an advantage.

"I guess everybody knows how Barcelona plays, right," Mosimane told the media.

"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. Doesn't mean when I know how Benni plays, it means now I have an advantage. No, it just gives me a little bit of data and understanding of seeing patterns, what is most likely to come."

South Africa are targeting a third consecutive AFCON appearance, while Kenya have already secured their place at the 2027 tournament as co-hosts alongside Uganda and Tanzania.