Previous results give underdogs Bafana Bafana slight edge over Egypt

South Africa have held the edge over Nelson Mandela Challenge opponents Egypt down the years as they seek a morale-boosting win over a difficult opponent who are one of the traditional powers on the African continent.

The previous 10 meetings having yielded five wins for Bafana Bafana to Egypt’s four‚ with just a single game‚ the last played in 2011‚ ending in a draw.

Times Media Digital looks back at the history of one of the great clashes in African football as north meets south again.

24 November‚ 1995:

South Africa (2) (Mkhlalele 14’‚ Bartlett 17’) - 0 Egypt

Four Nations Cup

Independence stadium‚ Mmabatho

South Africa's first ever meeting with Egypt came in the 1995 Four Nations Cup and brought about a 2-0 victory … eventually.

The match was the second to be played at the Independence Stadium in Mmabatho stadium on the day‚ after Zimbabwe vs Zambia‚ but the floodlights failed ahead of the fixture.

Egypt went back to their hotel‚ but were persuaded to come back and play the game that kicked off at 22h00!

Shaun Bartlett scored his first goal for Bafana‚ after Helman Mkhlalele had given the side the lead three minutes earlier. Ex-Orlando Pirates boss Ruud Krol was the coach of Egypt.



24 January‚ 1996:

South Africa 0 - 1 Egypt

African Nations Cup finals group A

Soccer City‚ Johannesburg

Bafana's only loss at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations came in their final group game against the Egyptians‚ with an early goal from Ahmed El Kass settling the game.

South Africa had already qualified so they rested a few key players. It was the first time that goalkeeper Andre Arendse had been beaten in a Bafana jersey‚ ending an amazing run of 502 minutes without conceding a goal.

It would also be the last international appearance for Zane Moosa. Once again Krol was the coach of The Pharaohs.

28 February 1998:

South Africa 0 - 2 Egypt

African Nations Cup final

4th August stadium‚ Ouagadougou

Bafana were looking for back-to-back Nations Cup titles when they met Egypt in the final of the 1998 tournament in Burkina Faso.

Jomo Sono led South Africa on the day against an Egyptian side that included the legendary Ahmed Hassan‚ who scored after just four minutes with a swirling shot that gave Brian Baloyi no chance.

Egypt were soon 2-0 up as Tarek Mostafa netted a second. Bafana were not able to claw their way back into the game and had to settle for the silver medal.

16 December‚ 1998:

South Africa (Benni McCarthy 40’‚ 74’) 2 - 1 Egypt (H Hassan 34')

Friendly international

Soccer City‚ Johannesburg

A Benni McCarthy brace helped South Africa to a 2-1 victory in this friendly international at Soccer City that saw John Moeti captain the side.

Egyptian legend Hossam Hassan had given the visitors the lead‚ before McCarthy struck in either half for Trott Moloto's team.

10 November‚ 2001:

South Africa (Shaun Bartlett 53’) 1 - 0 Egypt

Friendly international

Johannesburg stadium Dismissal: Salah Hosni 75’

Bafana beat the 10-men of Egypt in this friendly international as Shaun Bartlett scored the decisive goal just after halftime.

Salah Hosni received his marching orders with 15 minutes to go and the home side easily held on for the win.

There was a debut this day for a fresh-faced 21-year-old from Pietermaritzburg‚ Mbulelo Mabizela‚ handed his first international cap by then coach Carlos Queiroz.

Played just seven months before the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea‚ this was an important fixture for a number of other young players‚ including Aaron Mokoena‚ Quinton Fortune‚ Delron Buckley and Benni McCarthy.

15 November‚ 2003:

Egypt (Abdelhadi 72’‚ Hossam 89’) 2 - 1 South Africa  (Benni McCarthy 49’)

Friendly international

Cairo stadium‚ Cairo

Benni McCarthy gave Bafana in the lead in this friendly international in Cairo‚ but the side were to suffer late heartache as Egypt roared back to win thanks to goals from Medhat Abdelhadi and old foe Hossam Hassan.

The Bafana side was captained by Mbulelo Mabizela and included the likes of Thabang Molefe‚ Jacob Lekgetho‚ Patrick Mayo and Siphiwe Mkhonza for rare international appearances.

In was a first loss in international football for Shakes Mashaba‚ who was axed from his first full spell in charge of the side after the team lost again to Tunisia days later and he had a fall-out with the SAFA heircarchy over squad selection.

14 January‚ 2006:

South Africa 2 - 1 Egypt (Zaki 13’ own goal‚ Benni McCarthy 44’; Zaki 24’ pen)

Friendly international

Cairo International stadium

A good win for a much-changed Bafana in a friendly international ahead of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations‚ after which coach then Ted Dumitru declared that his squad was ready to conquer Africa.

It would be misguided bravado though as the side would go through the Nations Cup tournament without a point or even a goal in a calamitous showing.

But things looked bright in the build-up as Amr Zaki scored an own goal to give Bafana the lead‚ before the Egyptian forward netted at the right end via a penalty.

Benni McCarthy netted again just before halftime to restore the lead though and South Africa were able to hold on.

This match provided a debut for Siphiwe Tshabalala‚ who would go on to become a stalwart of the side‚ winning 88 caps.

15 November‚ 2006:

South Africa 0 - 1 Egypt  (Moteab 3’)

Friendly international

Griffin Park‚ London

An early Emad Moteab goal gave the Pharaohs the win in this friendly fixture played in London.

It was a particularly uninspiring performance from Bafana under then caretaker coach Pitso Mosimane‚ with the likes of the late Jeffrey Ntuka‚ Gert Schalkwyk and Mlungisi Gumbi given a run in the team.

26 March‚ 2011:

South Africa 1 - 0 Egypt (Katlego Mphela 89’)

African Nations Cup Group G qualifier

Ellis Park

This particular qualification campaign would end in the humiliation of Mbombela‚ when South Africa celebrated their qualification for the finals following a 0-0 draw with Sierra Leone‚ only to soon find out they had not understood the rules of the competition and lost out to Niger.

But it did have it’s high points not least this late win over Egypt as Katlego Mphela‚ far and away the leading striker in the country at the time‚ grabbed the only goal.

5 June‚ 2011:

Egypt 0 -  0 South Africa

African Nations Cup Group G qualifier

Military Stadium‚ Cairo

Pitso Mosimane knew how to set up a Bafana side to make them difficult to beat and he did just that in this fixture‚ though they should have grabbed a late winner again.

Having comfortably held their opponents through the game‚ and had the better of the chances‚ winger Tlou Segolela found himself one-on-one with Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary‚ but could not beat his man.

It remains the only drawn match between the two sides.

- TMG Digital