Egypt face South Africa in their second Group B match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Friday, with both sides aiming to take a major step towards the knockout stages.
The winner at Adrar Stadium in Agadir will move clear at the top of the group, and to a great extent, secure qualification for the round of 16.
The team finishing top of Group B will probably have an easier route to the quarter-finals as they willl face one of the third-placed teams from Groups A, C or D.
Egypt opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory against Zimbabwe. The seven-time African champions dominated the game but a series of missed chances left them on the verge of a shocking defeat. They needed a second-half equaliser from Omar Marmoush and a Mohamed Salah injury-time winner to avoid the frustrating start.
Meawhile, South Africa began their campaign with a 2–1 win against Angola. Head coach Hugo Broos is no stranger to Egyptian opposition, having led Cameroon to victory against Egypt in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final. His squad is built largely around players from Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, who have faced regularly Egyptian sides at CAF Champions League over the past years.
Head coach Hossam Hassan – the first local manager to lead the Egyptian national team at the Africa Cup of Nations since the legendary Hassan Shehata in 2010 – will be keen to address defensive concerns. Zimbabwe posed a threat from the few chances they created, exposing frailties at the back.
History also adds extra edge to the encounter. The last time Egypt and South Africa met at the Africa Cup of Nations, in 2019, Bafana Bafana claimed a shock win in Cairo that eliminated the hosts from the round of 16.
Egypt could be without striker Mostafa Mohamed and left-back Mohamed Hamdy, as both picked up injuries in the opening match.
The match will kickoff at 17:00 Cairo time (GMT +2).
