SHARE
Bafana Bafana will face Egypt in an international friendly match to be played at Cairo International Stadium next month.
The Egyptians have confirmed to the South African Football Association (SAFA) that the match will be played on 4 October 2026 and kickoff is at 20h00 South Africa time.
Newly appointed coach Pitso Mosimane will take his place on the bench for the first time when Bafana Bafana open their CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2027 account against Guinea in a home qualifier on Saturday, 26 September 2026. The South African senior men’s national team will then travel to face Eritrea away on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
Bafana Bafana will wrap up their assignments on the road with the clash against the North Africans on 4 October 2026.
“Matches against Egypt are always tough and we do not expect anything less in this latest installment. I think that coach Pitso’s return to Bafana Bafana will add another twist because they know him very well in the North African country. This will be another great test for both teams,” said SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.
News of the possibility of a match between Bafana Bafana and Egypt was greeted with excitement in the North African country as the two nations have a long-running rivalry. Their last meeting had no shortage of drama as Bafana Bafana suffered a 0-1 defeat to a 10-man Egypt in an incident-riddled Africa Cup of Nations Group B match in Morocco in December 2025.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Ronwen Williams #1 of South Africa (L) inspects the pitch before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 45th minute to win the game for the North Africans. First, referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana stopped play to consult the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) just before the half time break on an incident that had happened earlier. He eventually pointed to the spot and awarded the penalty. Salah then converted the kick and put the Egyptians in the lead.
Ndabihawenimana then sent off Mohamed Hany in the final minutes of the first half after picking up a second yellow card of the match following a tackle on Teboho Mokoena. Bafana Bafana thought they had finally found a breakthrough when Ndabihawenimana once again stopped play to consult VAR after defender Yasser Ibrahim appeared to have handled the ball inside the area. Ndabihawenimana eventually did not give the penalty.
Mosimane himself is no stranger to Egypt after leading Al Ahly to two CAF Champions League titles. The newly appointed Bafana Bafana coach will announce a preliminary squad for the AFCON qualifiers before the end of the week.
SOURCED FROM SAFA WEBSITE.