{
  "id": 10908562,
  "title": "Bafana’s Pitso warns of threat from Eritrea striker",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/bafanas-pitso-warns-of-threat-from-eritrea-striker",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T09:16:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/soccer/bafana-pitso-warns-threat-eritrea-striker/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bafana Bafana manager Pitso Mosimane has cautioned his team about the potential threat posed by Eritrea's striker Ali Sulieman ahead of their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations Group D qualifier on Wednesday. Sulieman, who currently plays for Al Masry in Egypt, has proven himself to be a sharp-shooter, having scored three goals against Eswatini during their qualifying matches. The 26-year-old also provided an assist for Nahom Girmai's goal in Eritrea's 1-1 draw against Kenya, showcasing his versatility in assisting goals and scoring from set pieces and penalties.\n\nMosimane emphasized the importance of showing respect to Eritrea, as they have qualified for the group stages of the competition. He highlighted Sulieman's speed, accuracy with both feet, and deadly finishing from set pieces and penalties, making him a crucial player for Eritrea. The Eritrean coach also pointed out that Kenya, another member of the group, managed to equalize against Kenya in their match, demonstrating that respect for Eritrea is warranted.\n\nDespite Bafana's positive performance against Guinea, Mosimane stressed that there is room for improvement and that the team must stay focused and positive. However, they will be without Aubrey Modiba and Teboho Mokoena due to injuries sustained during their previous match against Guinea. Samukele Kabini, who scored the winning goal against Guinea, could replace Modiba, while Bathusi Aubaas is the most likely candidate to take Mokoena's spot.",
  "summary": "'They have a striker (Sulieman) who scores all the time,' said the Bafana head coach.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Eritrea: What Bafana need to know about their next AFCON qualifier opponents",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/eritrea-what-bafana-need-to-know-about-their-next-afcon-qualifier",
        "published": "2026-09-30T04:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}