Bafana Bafana have met East African sides on 30 previous occasions, winning 19 of those matches to go with seven draws and four defeats.
Those losses have come against Rwanda and Ethiopia in World Cup qualifiers, Sudan in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, and Tanzania in the COSAFA Cup.
They have met Kenya on four previous occasions, winning three with a single draw. This will be the teams’ first meeting since 2012, however, and their first clash in a major qualifying competition.
Kenya are one of five East African sides never to have beaten Bafana, along with Uganda (seven meetings), Burundi (two), South Sudan (two) and Eritrea (one).
Bafana have scored 52 goals against East African opponents and conceded fewer than half that number, with 24.
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
South Africa have already faced East African opposition in this qualifying campaign, dispatching Eritrea 5-0 in neutral Cairo in their second Group D match.
Bafana have won 10 of their 15 home matches against East African opponents, to go with four draws and a single defeat to Tanzania in 2017, when they fielded an under-strength side in the COSAFA Cup.
They have actually scored more goals in matches played outside South Africa, including neutral-venue fixtures, with 28 compared to 24 in front of their own supporters.
In Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers specifically, Bafana have won 11 of their 13 matches against East African nations.
South Africa's sole defeat was a 2-0 loss away to Sudan in March 2021, which ultimately cost then-coach Molefi Ntseki his job as the side failed to qualify for the finals in Cameroon.
Bafana have scored 28 goals and conceded only eight in those 13 qualifiers.