Egypt have booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa in Group B.
The match, played on Friday, December 26 at the Stade Adrar in Agadir, Morocco, was decided by a first-half penalty converted by captain Mohamed Salah in the 45th minute. The goal proved enough to hand the Pharaohs all three points and their first win over South Africa since 2006.
Egypt started the game strongly and controlled much of the early play. However, their task became more difficult after defender Mohamed Hany was shown a straight red card in first-half stoppage time, reducing the team to 10 men.
Despite having a numerical advantage, South Africa failed to capitalise in the second half. Bafana Bafana dominated possession and created several scoring opportunities, but Egypt’s goalkeeper and defence stood firm to preserve the narrow lead.
The victory takes Egypt to six points at the top of Group B, making them the first team to qualify for the knockout stage of AFCON 2025. South Africa, though disappointed, remain in contention ahead of their final group match.
Mohamed Salah’s calm penalty and Egypt’s disciplined defensive display once again underlined the seven-time champions’ reputation as strong contenders for the title.
