Egypt/South Africa: Bafana Bafana Succumb to Controversial Refereeing Decisions in Afcon Clash Against Egypt

CAF
With a commanding 3-0 victory over Benin, Senegal finishes at the top of Group D, and Benin - despite the defeat - also progresses to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-placed teams in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON in Morocco.
26 December 2025
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Yanga Sibembe

A Mohamed Salah penalty gave Egypt a 1-0 win over Bafana Bafana in their crucial Afcon 2025 Group B clash. South Africa (SA) now faces a stern test against Zimbabwe to qualify for the knockout stage.

Bafana Bafana will have to beat neighbours Zimbabwe in their final 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) group game. This after being vanquished 1-0 by seven-time African champions Egypt on Friday, 26 December in Agadir, Morocco.

The South Africans succumbed to a first-half penalty from Egyptian captain and talisman Salah. The Liverpool star struck late in the first stanza, after Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana awarded a penalty to the Pharaohs following a video assistant referee check.

Bafana Bafana fullback Khuliso Mudau was adjudged to have fouled Salah in the box, after the Mamelodi Sundowns defender's flailing hand struck the attacker's face. The decision could have swayed in any direction, especially as there seemed to be no intent to strike Salah from Mudau.

But the referees handed the advantage to the attacking team and Salah stepped forward to dispatch the spot-kick with vintage coolness.

No sooner had the Egyptians obtained the advantage in the dying embers of a cagey first stanza, when Bafana Bafana were handed a lifeline by Mohamed Hany being sent off for stomping on Teboho Mokoena's foot, just seconds before the half-time whistle. It was his second yellow-card transgression.

Egyptian battle

After that red card for Hany, it...

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