Puso Dithejane scored on his debut as Bafana Bafana beat Egypt 1-0 in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium. Image credit: BackpagePix/Weam Mostafa
Bafana Bafana beat Egypt 1-0 in an international friendly at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday. Debutant Puso Dithejane scored the only goal of the Bafana Bafana Egypt clash early in the second half.
The win keeps Pitso Mosimane’s perfect start intact. He has now won all three matches since returning as head coach, after the 2-1 win over Guinea and the 5-0 thrashing of Eritrea in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
How Bafana Bafana beat Egypt
Mosimane made wholesale changes to his side. As a result, several players who did not feature in the qualifiers got their chance. Shandre Campbell, Lebone Seema, Khulumani Ndamane, Thabang Matuludi and Fawaaz Basadien all played. In addition, injuries forced Mosimane to use Olwethu Makhanya in midfield.
By contrast, Egypt fielded a strong side that included Omar Marmoush, although Mohamed Salah did not play.
At first, the young South African team took time to settle. However, they grew in confidence as the match went on.
Then, shortly after halftime, Dithejane struck. He pounced on a mistake by Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy’s replacement, Oufa Shobeir, who misjudged a challenge, and slotted home to give Bafana the lead.
Egypt pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages. In the 71st minute, Hamza Abdelkarim forced a good save from replacement goalkeeper Ricardo Goss with a header. Later, Abdelkarim came close again when his effort shaved the crossbar. Still, Bafana held firm to secure the win.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the team’s changeroom before kick off and watched the match from the stands.
After the game, Mosimane admitted that his new players needed time to gel. Nevertheless, he praised their bravery. According to him, the youngsters were not afraid to play, and he was happy to let them swim with the sharks.
The result also carried special meaning for Mosimane, who enjoyed huge success in Cairo as coach of Al Ahly.
For now, the Bafana Bafana Egypt win gives Mosimane plenty of selection options, as several young players staked their claim for a regular place in the squad.
Read more