WeeklySA_AdminSHOWDOWN: Old rivals Egypt and South Africa renew their AFCON rivalry in Agadir with both sides chasing a second straight Group B win and early control of the tournament…
By Own Correspondent
Egypt and South Africa will reignite one of African football’s most compelling rivalries when they meet in Group B of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 on 26 December at the Grande Stade d’Agadir. Kick-off is scheduled for 16h00 local time (15h00 GMT).
Both teams opened their campaigns with identical 2–1 victories, Egypt coming from behind to defeat Zimbabwe, while South Africa edged Angola. With momentum on both sides, the clash could prove decisive in shaping the group’s final standings.
This will be the fourth meeting between the two nations at AFCON finals. Egypt hold a slight historical edge with two wins to South Africa’s one. Their first encounter came in the 1996 group stage, when Egypt beat hosts South Africa 1–0 in Johannesburg, despite Bafana Bafana going on to lift the trophy.
Two years later, Egypt secured a 2–0 victory in the 1998 final in Ouagadougou, with goals from Ahmed Hassan and Tarek Mostafa inside the opening 13 minutes.
South Africa’s most cherished AFCON victory over Egypt came in 2019, when they stunned the hosts in Cairo with a 1–0 Round of 16 win, courtesy of a late Thembinkosi Lorch strike. That result extended Bafana Bafana’s recent dominance in the fixture—South Africa are unbeaten in their last six matches against Egypt across all competitions (W4 D2).
Several familiar faces return. Egypt stars Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy all featured in the 2019 defeat, as did South Africa captain Ronwen Williams, who produced a standout performance with three saves. Salah, despite Egypt’s dominance in possession that day, failed to register a shot on target.
Egypt arrive with formidable tournament pedigree. The seven-time champions are unbeaten in their last 11 AFCON matches in open play and boast strong group-stage consistency, having lost just once in their last 23 group games. Against Zimbabwe, they enjoyed nearly 78% possession, completed over 600 passes and saw Salah score his eighth AFCON goal while creating six chances.
South Africa, meanwhile, are quietly building momentum. Their win over Angola marked their first opening-game victory since 2004 and extended their unbeaten run in open play to seven matches. Under coach Hugo Broos—who famously led Cameroon to the 2017 AFCON title by defeating Egypt in the final—Bafana Bafana have also rediscovered confidence against North African opposition, beating both Egypt and Morocco in recent tournaments.
With history, form and pride all at stake, the Agadir showdown promises a tense, tactical battle between two continental heavyweights, each eager to take a major step toward the knockout rounds. – Cafonline/Weekly SA Mirror
What History Tells Us
- Egypt and South Africa have met three times at AFCON finals, with Egypt winning twice (1996, 1998) and South Africa once (2019).
- All of Egypt’s AFCON goals against South Africa were scored inside the first 12 minutes, underlining their tendency to start fast in this fixture.
- South Africa’s 2019 Round of 16 victory in Cairo remains one of Bafana Bafana’s most famous tournament wins, knocking out the hosts on home soil.
- Across all competitions, South Africa hold the upper hand historically, winning eight of 14 meetings, with Egypt winning four and two ending in draws.
- Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last six matches against Egypt (W4 D2), a psychological edge heading into this Group B showdown at the Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025.
