Mohamed Salah converted a high-stakes penalty to secure a 1-0 victory for Egypt over South Africa at the Adrar Stadium on Friday, making the Pharaohs the first team to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages. Despite playing more than half the match with ten men following Mohamed Hany’s dismissal, the seven-time champions displayed a defensive masterclass to maintain their perfect start in Group B.
The decisive moment arrived in the 45th minute after a VAR review confirmed that South African defender Khuliso Mudau had caught Salah in the face with a stray arm inside the area. Salah, who had already scored a stoppage-time winner against Zimbabwe in the opening match, stepped up and deceived goalkeeper Ronwen Williams with a composed "Panenka" chip down the centre of the goal.
The celebration was short-lived, however, as Egyptian right-back Mohamed Hany received a second yellow card just moments later for a reckless challenge on Teboho Mokoena. The dismissal forced Egyptian manager Hossam Hassan into a tactical retreat, as his side spent the entire second half absorbing relentless pressure from a South African side desperate to capitalise on their numerical advantage.
South Africa, known as Bafana Bafana, dominated possession in the second stanza and produced 16 shots, but they found Egyptian veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in inspired form. El Shenawy made several critical saves, including a goal-line clearance to deny a header from substitute Faisal in the dying minutes of the game.
The match was not without late controversy. In the 89th minute, the referee consulted the pitchside monitor for a potential handball by Egypt's Yasser Ibrahim. After a lengthy review that silenced the Agadir stadium, the official ruled against a penalty for South Africa, sparking protests from the Bafana Bafana bench.
With six points from two matches, Egypt has guaranteed a top-two finish in Group B due to head-to-head tiebreaker rules, regardless of their final result against Angola on Monday. South Africa remains in second place with three points and will need a positive result against Zimbabwe in Marrakech to secure their place in the Round of 16.
