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Who: Egypt vs South Africa
What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025
Where: Adrar Stadium successful Agadir, Morocco
When: Friday astatine 4pm (15:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 12:00 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.
Record Africa Cup of Nations winners Egypt look South Africa connected Friday successful the archetypal conflict of the titans radical matchup successful the 2025 edition of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) showpiece.
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Much of Egypt’s build-up has been overshadowed by the nationalist fallout betwixt their superstar guardant Mohamed Salah and his nine team, Liverpool, but they stay among the apical tier favourites to assistance different AFCON crown.
Bafana Bafana had been a rising unit connected the continent successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s but until precocious had fallen distant connected the continental and planetary stage.
Expectations stay high, however, and an aboriginal connection could beryllium laid by South Africa if they tin bushed their hostile from the northbound seashore of the continent.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a person look astatine the game:
What is the latest connected Salah’s aboriginal with Liverpool?
No quality appears to beryllium bully quality if you are a Liverpool instrumentality who hopes 1 of the astir decorated and influential players of the club’s modern epoch stays astatine the Premier League champions.
Reds manager Arne Slot said the nine person “moved on” from Salah’s outburst erstwhile helium claimed helium had been “thrown nether the bus” for his side’s woeful commencement to their rubric defence.
Despite the quietening of chatter astatine Anfield, the wide representation remains that an connection from Saudi Arabia – who person made their involvement successful Salah known – is highly apt to travel successful the January transportation window.
The 33-year-old erstwhile Chelsea and Roma guardant himself is fully focused connected helping Egypt triumph AFCON 2025, according to his planetary manager Hossam Hassan.
Salah has doubly been a Cup of Nations runner-up, successful 2017 and 2021, but is yet to adhd an planetary honour to his agelong database of nine trophies.
Salah walks onto the transportation for the AFCON lucifer betwixt Egypt and Zimbabwe successful Agadir, Morocco, connected December 22, 2025 [Mosa’ab Elshamy/AP]What happened successful Egypt’s archetypal lucifer of AFCON 2025?
Salah was connected the scoresheet with a precocious victor for Egypt successful their opening lucifer of the tourney against Zimbabwe.
Prince Dube upset the likelihood successful the 20th infinitesimal contempt aboriginal Egyptian dominance. Manchester City guardant Omar Marmoush levelled for Egypt successful the 64th infinitesimal earlier Salah slotted location the injury-time winner.
What happened successful South Africa’s archetypal lucifer of AFCON 2025?
South Africa’s 2-1 victory against adjacent neighbours Angola was the archetypal clip they opened an AFCON with a triumph for 21 years.
Group B has been regarded arsenic the radical of death, fixed Angola’s emergence and Zimbabwe’s comparative revival, truthful Lyle Foster’s victor from extracurricular the container looks important for Bafana Bafana’s hopes of advancement – particularly considering the Angolans volition beryllium disappointed to person not taken astatine slightest a constituent from the game.
Oswin Appollis had fixed South Africa the lead, but Show had Angola level by the break.
How bash teams suffice for the AFCON 2025 knockout rounds?
The apical 2 teams from the six groups suffice automatically for the circular of 16 portion the 4 champion third-place finishers volition besides progress.
What is the concern successful Group B?
Egypt and South Africa some person 3 points to their name, and some person identical extremity differences aft their opening wins.
Neither Zimbabwe nor Angola are retired of the moving yet, but a triumph for either Egypt oregon South Africa successful the 2nd circular of fixtures successful the radical volition spot the victor advancement to the knockout rounds.
A decision for either Zimbabwe oregon Angola successful their crippled astatine Marrakesh Stadium connected Monday volition spot that squad each but eliminated.
When are Egypt’s and South Africa’s last radical games?
Both teams volition implicit the radical connected Monday. A triumph for either Angola oregon Zimbabwe successful their lucifer connected Friday volition acceptable up a tense finale successful the group, nary substance the result of Egypt’s lucifer with South Africa.
Group B’s finales:
- Angola vs Egypt (Adrar Stadium, 5pm/16:00 GMT)
- Zimbabwe vs South Africa (Marrakesh Stadium, 5pm/16:00 GMT)
How galore times person Egypt won AFCON?
Egypt person won a grounds 7 AFCON titles, but their past occurrence was successful 2010. Their archetypal was successful the inaugural variation successful 1957 erstwhile they bushed Ethiopia 4-0 successful the final. From 2006 to 2010, the Egyptians won 3 AFCONs successful a row.
How galore times person South Africa won AFCON?
South Africa person won the tourney lone erstwhile once they were the hosts successful 1996. Bafana Bafana were besides finalists successful 1998 portion they were the bronze medallists astatine the past AFCON.
What was the astir celebrated gathering betwixt Egypt and South Africa?
South Africa’s decision successful the 1998 AFCON last came astatine the hands of Egypt.
A 2-0 triumph sealed what was the Egyptians’ 4th rubric astatine the clip and denied Bafana Bafana back-to-back successes – an accomplishment that lone Ghana, successful 1963 and 1965, had achieved astatine that time. Egypt and Cameroon person some gone connected to successfully support titles since then.
What happened the past clip Egypt played South Africa?
The past gathering betwixt the sides came successful the 2018 edition, delayed to 2019, with South Africa’s Thembinkosi Lorch netting the lone extremity of a choky circular of 16 brushwood with 5 minutes near to play.
South Africa were eliminated successful the quarterfinals by Nigeria, who themselves were knocked retired by the eventual winners, Algeria.
Head-to-head
This is the 10th gathering betwixt the 2 sides with South Africa winning 5 of the encounters and Egypt winning connected 4 occasions.
The archetypal matchup didn’t travel until 1995 successful an planetary friendly, which Bafana Bafana won 2-0.
The Egyptians had their revenge the pursuing twelvemonth with a 1-0 triumph astatine the 1996 AFCON.
Burnley guardant Lyle Foster, who scored against Angola connected Monday, volition again spearhead the onslaught for South Africa against Egypt [File: Themba Hadebe/AP]Egypt squad news
Coach Hossam Hassan’s lone interest is simply a sound to Mohamed Hamdi. Otherwise, Egypt are expected to beryllium unchanged from the broadside that bushed Zimbabwe.
South Africa squad news
Hugo Broos is likewise expected to sanction the aforesaid squad that recorded the 2-1 triumph against Angola. Tshepang Moremi is pushing for a spot successful the side, however, with Relebohile Mofokeng’s spot connected the helping astir nether threat.
Predicted Egyptian starting lineup
Mohamed El-Shenawy; Mohamed Hany, Mohamed Abdelmagid, Hossam Abdelmagid, Mohamed Hamdi; Hamdi Fathi, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour; Mohamed Salah (captain), Omar Marmoush, Trezeguet
Predicted South African starting lineup
Ronwen Williams (captain); Khuliso Mudau, Siyabonga Ngezana, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba; Sphephelo Sithole, Teboho Mokoena; Elias Mokwana, Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi; Lyle Foster
English (US) ·