Agadir, Morocco – Record Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt are set to face a resurgent South Africa in a highly anticipated Group B encounter for the 2025 edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) showpiece. The critical match, scheduled for Friday at 4pm GMT at Adrar Stadium in Agadir, holds significant implications for both nations as they vie for early qualification to the knockout stages. Both teams enter the fixture with three points from their opening victories, setting the stage for a pivotal clash.
Egypt, widely considered top-tier favourites for the tournament, secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe in their opening match. Superstar forward Mohamed Salah netted an injury-time winner, showcasing his decisive impact despite earlier club-related controversies. Omar Marmoush had previously levelled for the Pharaohs after Prince Dube’s early surprise goal for Zimbabwe, underlining Egypt’s resilience and attacking depth.
South Africa, known as Bafana Bafana, also commenced their AFCON 2025 campaign with a 2-1 win against neighbours Angola, marking their first opening victory in 21 years. Oswin Appollis gave South Africa the lead, which was cancelled out by Angola’s Show before Lyle Foster secured a crucial winner from outside the box. This triumph positions them strongly in a Group B that has been dubbed the “group of death” due to the competitive nature of all four teams.
Much of Egypt’s pre-tournament narrative has revolved around Mohamed Salah’s public dispute with his club, Liverpool, following comments made by manager Arne Slot. Despite the club declaring they have “moved on” from the issue, speculation persists regarding a potential January transfer offer from Saudi Arabia. However, Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, maintains that the 33-year-old forward is fully focused on helping his national team secure their first international honour, having been a Cup of Nations runner-up twice before.
Both Egypt and South Africa currently share identical records in Group B, with three points and an even goal difference. A victory for either side in Friday’s fixture would guarantee progression to the knockout rounds, intensifying the stakes. The concurrent match between Zimbabwe and Angola will also influence the group dynamics, with a defeat for either team potentially leading to an early exit from the tournament.
Egypt boasts an unparalleled seven AFCON titles, with their last triumph in 2010. Their storied history includes winning the inaugural tournament in 1957 and a remarkable three consecutive titles between 2006 and 2010. South Africa, in contrast, lifted the trophy once as hosts in 1996 and were finalists in 1998, also securing bronze medals in the most recent edition of the Cup of Nations.
The historical rivalry between these two African football powerhouses adds another layer of intrigue to their encounter. Their most famous meeting came in the 1998 AFCON final, where Egypt defeated South Africa 2-0 to claim their fourth title, denying Bafana Bafana back-to-back successes. More recently, South Africa eliminated Egypt in the 2019 tournament’s Round of 16 with a late goal from Thembinkosi Lorch.
In their head-to-head record, South Africa holds a slight advantage, having won five of the nine previous encounters, with Egypt claiming four victories. The first match between them occurred in 1995, a friendly won 2-0 by South Africa, while Egypt secured a 1-0 victory in the 1996 AFCON. Both coaches, Hossam Hassan for Egypt and Hugo Broos for South Africa, are expected to name unchanged lineups from their respective opening wins, underscoring confidence in their initial squads. Mohamed Hamdi is Egypt’s only minor injury concern, while Tshepang Moremi vies for a spot in the South African starting eleven.
