The Egyptian national team hosted South Africa in a friendly match on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at the Cairo International Stadium. The match was part of the Pharaohs' October camp, which included a 5-0 win over South Sudan in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Karim Hafez and Ibrahim Adel. The team aimed to build on their momentum from the AFCON qualifiers, where they currently lead Group B with four points.
South Africa's coach, Pitso Mosimane, announced that he would introduce all players who have yet to feature in the team, appealing for patience and support from fans. The Bafana Bafana team tops Group D of the AFCON qualifiers with six points. The starting lineup for South Africa included S. Chaine, I. Okon, L. Seema, T. Matuludi, F. Basadien, S. Sithole, B. Poggenpoel, T. Matthews, P. Dithejane, L. Singh, and C. Mailula. The match was refereed by Nabil Boukhalfa from Algeria.
The match began with Egypt piling pressure on South Africa's defense, but the visitors managed to withstand the attacks. In the 9th minute, Egypt's Omar Marmoush missed a clear scoring opportunity, sending his effort just wide of the right post. South Africa relied on counterattacks, but Egypt's goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobeir, was on hand to stop the threat. The first half ended goalless, with the referee announcing two minutes of added time.
The second half saw South Africa take the lead in the 51st minute, courtesy of a goal by Dithejane, who capitalized on a mistake by goalkeeper Shobeir. Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, made several substitutions, bringing on Ahmed Zizo, Hamza Abdelkarim, and Osama Faisal to refresh the attack. Despite dominating possession, Egypt struggled to create scoring opportunities, with South Africa's defense holding strong.
In the 88th minute, Hossam Hassan brought on Tarek Alaa to replace Mohamed Hany. The fourth official announced seven minutes of added time, during which Egypt had a chance to equalize. However, Osama Faisal's close-range header was brilliantly saved by the South Africa goalkeeper. The referee blew the final whistle in the 90+10 minute, securing a 1-0 win for South Africa.
The match was part of Egypt's preparations for the AFCON qualifiers, where they will face tougher opponents. The team will look to build on their strengths and work on their weaknesses, particularly in defense. Egypt's skipper, Mohamed Salah, was rested from the South Sudan game due to artificial turf and was not available for the friendly match.
The friendly match against South Africa was an opportunity for both teams to test their skills and prepare for upcoming competitions. Egypt will look to regroup and focus on their next match, while South Africa will celebrate their win against a strong opponent. The two teams have shown respect for each other's abilities, and the match was a testament to the spirit of sportsmanship.
Key points
- Egypt lost 1-0 to South Africa in a friendly match on October 4, 2026.
- The match was part of Egypt's October camp, which included a 5-0 win over South Sudan in the AFCON qualifiers.
- South Africa's Dithejane scored the winning goal in the 51st minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Egypt's goalkeeper, Mostafa Shobeir.
