Who: Egypt vs South Africa What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 Where: Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Morocco When: Friday at 4pm (15:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 12:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.
Record Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt face South Africa on Friday in the first battle of the titans group matchup in the 2025 edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) showpiece.
Much of Egypt’s build-up has been overshadowed by the public fallout between their superstar forward Mohamed Salah and his club team, Liverpool, but they remain among the top tier favourites to lift another AFCON crown.
Bafana Bafana had been a rising force on the continent in the late 1990s and early 2000s but until recently had fallen away on the continental and global stage.
Expectations remain high, however, and an early statement could be laid by South Africa if they can beat their opponent from the north coast of the continent.
No news appears to be good news if you are a Liverpool fan who hopes one of the most decorated and influential players of the club’s modern era stays at the Premier League champions.
Reds manager Arne Slot said the club have “moved on” from Salah’s outburst when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” for his side’s woeful start to their title defence.
Despite the quietening of chatter at Anfield, the overall picture remains that an offer from Saudi Arabia – who have made their interest in Salah known – is highly likely to come in the January transfer window.
The 33-year-old former Chelsea and Roma forward himself is fully focused on helping Egypt win AFCON 2025, according to his international coach Hossam Hassan.
Salah has twice been a Cup of Nations runner-up, in 2017 and 2021, but is yet to add an international honour to his long list of club trophies.
Salah was on the scoresheet with a late winner for Egypt in their opening match of the tournament against Zimbabwe.
Prince Dube upset the odds in the 20th minute despite early Egyptian dominance. Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush levelled for Egypt in the 64th minute before Salah slotted home the injury-time winner.
South Africa’s 2-1 victory against near neighbours Angola was the first time they opened an AFCON with a win for 21 years.
Group B has been regarded as the group of death, given Angola’s rise and Zimbabwe’s relative revival, so Lyle Foster’s winner from outside the box looks crucial for Bafana Bafana’s hopes of progress – especially considering the Angolans will be disappointed to have not taken at least a point from the game.
Oswin Appollis had given South Africa the lead, but Show had Angola level by the break.
The top two teams from the six groups qualify automatically for the round of 16 while the four best third-place finishers will also progress.
Egypt and South Africa both have three points to their name, and both have identical goal differences after their opening wins.
Neither Zimbabwe nor Angola are out of the running yet, but a win for either Egypt or South Africa in the second round of fixtures in the group will see the victor progress to the knockout rounds.
A defeat for either Zimbabwe or Angola in their game at Marrakesh Stadium on Monday will see that team all but eliminated.
Both teams will complete the group on Monday. A win for either Angola or Zimbabwe in their match on Friday will set up a tense finale in the group, no matter the outcome of Egypt’s match with South Africa.
Egypt have won a record seven AFCON titles, but their last success was in 2010. Their first was in the inaugural edition in 1957 when they beat Ethiopia 4-0 in the final. From 2006 to 2010, the Egyptians won three AFCONs in a row.
South Africa have won the tournament only once when they were the hosts in 1996. Bafana Bafana were also finalists in 1998 while they were the bronze medallists at the last AFCON.
South Africa’s defeat in the 1998 AFCON final came at the hands of Egypt.
A 2-0 win sealed what was the Egyptians’ fourth title at the time and denied Bafana Bafana back-to-back successes – an achievement that only Ghana, in 1963 and 1965, had achieved at that time. Egypt and Cameroon have both gone on to successfully defend titles since then.
The last meeting between the sides came in the 2018 edition, delayed to 2019, with South Africa’s Thembinkosi Lorch netting the only goal of a tight round of 16 encounter with five minutes left to play.
South Africa were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Nigeria, who themselves were knocked out by the eventual winners, Algeria.
This is the 10th meeting between the two sides with South Africa winning five of the encounters and Egypt winning on four occasions.
The first matchup didn’t come until 1995 in an international friendly, which Bafana Bafana won 2-0.
The Egyptians had their revenge the following year with a 1-0 win at the 1996 AFCON.
Coach Hossam Hassan’s only concern is a knock to Mohamed Hamdi. Otherwise, Egypt are expected to be unchanged from the side that beat Zimbabwe.
Hugo Broos is similarly expected to name the same team that recorded the 2-1 win against Angola. Tshepang Moremi is pushing for a place in the side, however, with Relebohile Mofokeng’s place on the wing most under threat.
Mohamed El-Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Mohamed Abdelmagid, Hossam Abdelmagid, Mohamed Hamdi; Hamdi Fathi, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour; Mohamed Salah (captain), Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet
Ronwen Williams (captain); Khuliso Mudau, Siyabonga Ngezana, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba; Sphephelo Sithole, Teboho Mokoena; Elias Mokwana, Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi; Lyle Foster