Pitso Mosimane warns Bafana not to underestimate Benni McCarthy's Kenya in crucial AFCON qualifiers

South Africa take on the Harambee Stars at the Amstel Orlando Stadium on Friday before an away game in Kenya on Tuesday.

Mosimane's side are on course to qualify for the 2027 AFCON, on top of Group D with six points from their opening two games.

Guinea are in second place with three points, while third-placed Kenya, and Eritrea in last place, each have a point apiece.

Kenya though have no need to qualify as they are co-hosts of the competition alongside Tanzania and Uganda from 19 June to 17 July.

Speaking ahead of the game, Mosimane warned his side of complacency.

"We must be very careful of playing a team with nothing to lose, they are in the finals," he said in the Citizen.

"Benni has the character of a will to win and of fighting for his name.

"We have to respect that, he was a coach at Manchester United, he coached (Cristiano) Ronaldo. We have to respect the level he reached as a coach and a player.

"None of us have won the Champions League (McCarthy won the UEFA Champions League as a player with Porto in 2004). You have to understand what kind of person we are talking about in terms of a personality to win at all costs."

"Kenya have players from Finland, from Wales, from Sweden, from France. There is no underestimating teams," added the Bafana boss.

“We learned from Cape Verde at the World Cup that you must respect all teams until the final results.”