The teams played out a 2-2 draw at Orlando Stadium on Friday, just the second time under Pitso Mosimane that Bafana Bafana have failed to win after taking the lead in a game.
In 14 such instances across his spells in charge, they have won 12 and drawn two.
Bafana Bafana have played 12 times on East African soil, including matches in the African Nations Championship (CHAN), a competition restricted to home-based players.
The 5-0 win over Eritrea earlier in this qualification campaign was played in neutral Cairo and has therefore not been included in the record.
South Africa have seven wins from those 12 matches, along with two draws and three defeats. Their most recent fixture on East African soil was a 3-3 draw with Uganda during last year’s CHAN tournament.
They have been fairly regular visitors to that part of the continent in recent years, losing 2-0 to Rwanda on a poor artificial pitch in 2023 before recording wins over South Sudan (3-2) and Uganda (2-0) in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
AFCON qualification
The qualification competition for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations takes place from September 2026 to March 2027. The 48 teams have been drawn into 12 groups, with the top two in each advancing to the 24-team finals. Hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda qualify automatically, but are still playing in the qualifiers; only one other team will advance from their groups.
AFCON qualifying fixtures | AFCON qualifying standings | African football news
Their three defeats came against Rwanda, Ethiopia (2-1) in a World Cup qualifier in 2013 and Sudan (2-0) in 2021, a result that spelled the end of Molefi Ntseki’s tenure as coach.
A Tokelo Rantie strike and an own goal from Christopher Wekesa gave Bafana a 2-1 friendly victory over Kenya in Nairobi in 2012, their only previous fixture in the country.
Benni McCarthy, now in charge of Kenya, scored a penalty in Uganda in 2004 to help Bafana to a 1-0 victory.
South Africa’s biggest victory in the region came against Sudan, whom they beat 3-0 in Omdurman in September 2014. Sibusiso Vilakazi scored twice and Bongani Ndulula added the third.
Their dramatic 3-2 victory over South Sudan in Juba in September 2024 was secured by a stoppage-time winner from Thalente Mbatha after Oswin Appollis had scored twice earlier in the match.
Bafana have failed to score in only two of their 12 games in the region, the defeats to Rwanda and Sudan. They have scored 19 goals and conceded 13.