As the qualification process was also being used to decide who would play at the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola, Bafana Bafana took their place in the competition, grouped with Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

They began their campaign with a limp 2-0 away defeat in Nigeria, they bounced back with a 4-1 thumping of Equatorial Guinea. But what really killed their chances was the home and away leg against Sierra Leone as they 1-0 in Freetown and then could only manage a 0-0 draw at home a week later.

They followed those results with a 1-0 home loss to Nigeria and then claimed a 1-0 away win in Equatorial Guinea, but they had not done enough to advance to the next round as one of the best second-placed sides.