The last time these two heavyweights crossed paths at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), South Africa delivered one of the tournament’s most memorable upsets.

At the Cairo International Stadium in 2019, Thembinkosi Lorch’s decisive strike stunned hosts Egypt, silencing a partisan crowd of more than 60,000 as Bafana Bafana eliminated the Pharaohs in the Round of 16.

Six years on, Egypt and South Africa renew acquaintances on the AFCON stage once more. While the stakes may not mirror the drama of Cairo 2019, the fixture still carries significant weight; a classic African rivalry and a meeting of two of the continent’s most storied footballing nations.

Both sides arrive with momentum, having secured victories in their opening Group B matches, and a second win would place either firmly on the path toward the knockout rounds.

South Africa makes the journey from Marrakech to the Grand Stade d’Agadir, while Egypt enjoys the familiarity and comfort of playing a second successive match at a venue they know well.

The Pharaohs opened their campaign with a hard-fought 2–1 comeback victory over Zimbabwe, captain Mohamed Salah sealing the win with a dramatic stoppage-time strike. Head coach Hossam Hassan has acknowledged the quality of the South African side, conceding that this encounter will present a sterner test.

Egypt does, however, carry a slight concern over the fitness of Mohamed Hamdi, who was forced off during the win against Zimbabwe. Even so, Hassan still boasts a deep and experienced squad as he targets a second consecutive group-stage victory.

The fixture also stirs fond memories for the Egyptian coach, who was part of the Pharaohs’ squad that defeated South Africa 2–0 in the 1998 AFCON final to lift the continental crown.

Across the technical area, South Africa’s Hugo Broos also draws confidence from past encounters with Egypt. In 2017, the Belgian led Cameroon to AFCON glory in Libreville with a. 2-1 win in the final against the Egyptians and he admits there is always added motivation when facing an opponent you have beaten in the past.

Broos has assembled a highly driven squad in Morocco, chasing both continental success and what would be his second AFCON title as a head coach.

Buoyed by an impressive FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Bafana Bafana began their AFCON journey on a positive note, edging Angola 2–1 in their opening match.

Much of South Africa’s attacking threat once again rests on Lyle Foster, who produced a standout performance against Angola with a goal and an assist. His influence will be crucial as Bafana Bafana seek to recreate past success against a formidable Egyptian side.

As history, ambition, and qualification hopes converge, Egypt versus South Africa promises another compelling chapter in an enduring AFCON rivalry.

What they said:

Coach Hossam Hassa – Egypt: South Africa is a very strong team which we respect and they are among the teams who have shown high performance and are favourites for the competition. We have a long history against them; sometimes they won, sometimes we won. This is a new opportunity. We have analyzed their strengths and weaknesses. They are a team that are very aggressive and play the short-passing game but as a technical bench we have devised plans to contain them.

Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet – Egypt: This is a really important game in our group and we hope that we can make a positive result. We respect South Africa a lot and how they play. Our coach and the technical bench have worked on a plan that will make us ready and we will make the Egyptian people happy. We want to show that we are in the best position and we have confidence from the first game we won. Our last meeting with South Africa ended in them eliminating us from AFCON 2019, but that is in the past. We are focused on what is ahead of us.

Coach Hugo Broos – South Africa: We are excited to play Egypt and we know what kind of a team they are. They are seven-time champions of this competition and that means something. They have some amazing players as well like Salah (Mohammed), Marmoush (Omar) and more and that makes them interesting. But we are approaching the game with confidence knowing we are a good team as well. We have our qualities and we will try to show them as well.

Striker Lyle Foster – South Africa: The morale within the team is really high because we come into this game with victory from our first match. This will be a very important game because we are not on three points and a win will be one foot into the next round. Everyone in the team is focused and prepared for a good result. I know sometimes it is only human for complacency to slip in when you have good results going but we have our own self drive and standards that we have to strive to maintain.

Stat of the match:

South Africa is undefeated in their last six games against Egypt, winning four of these and drawing two. Egypt’s last win over South Africa was a 1-0 win in a friendly game on the 15th November 2006 in Griffin Park in London.

Emad Moteab scored the game’s only goal in the third minute. (CAFonline)

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