MATCH STATS: Egypt vs South Africa – TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 Group B
Egypt and South Africa both opened their Group B campaigns at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 with 2–1 victories, defeating Zimbabwe and Angola respectively.
The two sides meet at the Grande Stade d’Agadir on 26 December, with kick-off scheduled for 16h00 local time (15h00 GMT). This will be their fourth meeting at AFCON finals, having previously clashed in 1996, 1998 and 2019.
Of their previous AFCON meetings Egypt have two wins and South Africa one victory.
Their first AFCON clash in their final group game in 1996 saw Ahmed El Kaas score the game’s only goal, as Egypt defeated hosts South Africa 1-0 in Johannesburg. Both teams would progress from the group, South Africa would go onto become African champions.
In 1998 they met in the final with Egypt winning their fourth AFCON title with a 2-0 win in Ouagadougou, Ahmed Hassan and Tarek Mostafa scoring in the 5th and 13th minutes.
Their last AFCON meeting in 2019 saw South Africa eliminate hosts Egypt in Cairo, with a 1-0 win in the Round of 16. Thembinkosi Lorch scoring the game winner for Bafana Bafana in the 85th minute.
All three of Egypt’s goals against South Africa at AFCON have come in the first 12 minutes of matches.
Current Egypt squad members Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet and Mohamed El Shenawy featured when the Pharos lost to South Africa at the 2019 AFCON, Ronwen Williams was in goal for South Africa.
In their 2019 AFCON meeting Ronwen Williams faced three shots making three saves against Egypt, while Trzeguet had two of Egypt’s three shots on target in the match.
Salah failed to have a shot on target in Egypt’s loss to South Africa at the 2019 AFCON.
Mohamed El Shenawy faced six shots against Bafana Bafana at the 2019 AFCON making five saves, conceding one goal.
Egypt had 62% of the possession in their loss to South Africa at the 2019 AFCON, they also completed more passes 401 to South Africa’s 215.
Current Bafana Bafana assistant coach was involved in two games against Egypt at AFCON losing a group stage game in 1996 and the 1998 final.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan featured in the 1998 final when they defeated South Africa 2-0 in Burkina Faso.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos, lead Cameroon to the AFCON title in 2017 defeating Egypt in the final 2-1 in Libreville. Salah and Trezeguet both started the game for Egypt.
Overall the nations have met 14 times with South Africa winning eight games, Egypt four with two games ending in a draw.
They also clashed in 2012 AFCON Qualifying with South Africa winning 1-0 at home and the other game ended 0-0, neither team reached the 2012 AFCON with Niger qualifying instead.
South Africa are undefeated in their last six games against Egypt, winning four of these and drawing two.
Egypt’s last win over South Africa was a 1-0 win in a friendly game on the 15th November 2006 in Griffin Park in London. Emad Moteab scored the games only goal in the 3rd minute.
PAST MEETINGS
OVERALL
Egypt: P14 W4 D2 L8 GF15 GA10 GD+5
South Africa: P14 W8 D2 L4 GF10 GA15 GD-5
AFCON ONLY
Egypt: P3 W2 D0 L1 GF3 GA1 GD+2
South Africa: P3 W1 D0 L2 GF1 GA3 GD-2
PAST AFCON MEETINGS
1996 – Group A (24 January 1996)
South Africa 0 Egypt 1(El Kaas 7’)
1998 – Final (28 February 1998)
South Africa 0 Egypt 2 (Hassan 4’, Mostafa 12’)
2019 – Round of 16 (6 July 2019)
Egypt 0 South Africa 1 (Lorch 85’)
Egypt – Key Statistics
· For the second time at an AFCON finals Egypt came from a goal down to defeat Zimbabwe when they won their opening group game 2–1, they had also come from behind to defeat Zimbabwe in 2004.
· By avoiding defeat against Zimbabwe, Egypt are now 11 games unbeaten in open play (W4 D7).
· Egypt’s last defeat in open play at AFCON was against Nigeria in their opening game in 2021. Prior to the win over Zimbabwe, they had gone six games without a win in open play (D6).
· They have now conceded in their last five games, their last clean sheet was in the 2021 final against Senegal which ended 0–0 before they lost on penalties.
· Egypt are six group games without a loss (D3 W3). Victory over Zimbabwe was their first in an opening game since 2019; they began with a loss in 2021 and a draw in 2023.
· They had failed to win their previous three games when conceding first; the win over Zimbabwe saw them come from behind to win a game for the first time since defeating Morocco in the 2021 Round of 16.
· Victory for Egypt will see them open an AFCON with successive wins for an 11th time. They last won their opening two games in 2019.
· Since 1963 when a group stage was introduced, Egypt’s record in their second group game reads W14 D5 L4. They have won their opening two group games eight times previously. They are undefeated in their second group game at the last seven AFCON finals, last losing in 2004 against Algeria.
· Their loss against Nigeria in their opening game in 2021 is their only defeat in their last 23 group games (W15 D7). Egypt had 35 shots at goal and 11 on target.
· Omar Marmoush, scorer of Egypt’s opening goal against Zimbabwe, managed four shots on target.
· Mohamed Salah, who scored Egypt’s second goal, netted with his only shot on target and created six chances, more than any other player.
· Salah scored his 8th goal at AFCON in his 20th game, having scored at five editions (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025).
· Salah is second behind coach Hossam Hassan to score at five AFCON editions; Hassan scored in seven editions.
· Marmoush scored his second AFCON goal, having also scored in the last edition.
· Mostafa Mohamed, provider of the assist for Salah, has contributed to goals in his last five AFCON games, scoring four and making one assist.
· Egypt had 77.5% possession against Zimbabwe.
· Mohamed Hany recorded a match-high 102 touches.
· Hamdi Fathy attempted 85 passes, completing 77.
· The team completed 600 of 682 passes.
South Africa – Key Statistics
· South Africa won their opening game for the first time since the 2004 edition.
· Their 2–1 win over Angola marked only the third time since 2004 they have won a group-stage game against a country other than Namibia.
· South Africa’s last four group-stage wins came against Angola in 2013 and 2025, and Namibia in 2019 and 2023. Their last victory over another nation at the group stage was against Benin in 2004.
· Victory over Angola was the fourth time they have won their opening AFCON game (1996, 2000, 2004, 2025). They had failed to win their first games in 1998, 2002, 2015, 2019, and 2023.
· Competing in North Africa for the fourth time, South Africa began with a win for a second time, along with Tunisia 2004, and lost opening games in Egypt 2006 and 2019.
· Angola are the first team against which South Africa have gone five AFCON games without a loss. Angola are also one of three teams, along with Morocco and Namibia, that South Africa have beaten three times at AFCON.
· South Africa have won their opening two AFCON games twice before (1996, 2000). The other time they won their opening game against Benin in 2004, they then lost their second game against Nigeria.
· Bafana are now undefeated in seven games in open play, their last defeat being against Mali in 2023 (W3 D4).
· They have won the last two games against North African teams, defeating Egypt and Morocco in 2019 and 2023, after previously going winless in four (D1 L3).
· They have won three in a row against North African opponents once previously (Algeria and Tunisia in 1996 Quarterfinal/Final, Morocco in 1998 Quarterfinal).
· They have won only one of eight AFCON group games against North African teams (3–1 vs Morocco in 2002), losing five and drawing two.
· Lyle Foster scored and made an assist against Angola, first South African player to do so since May Mahlangu against Morocco in 2013.
· Oswin Appollis scored his first AFCON goal, his sixth for South Africa; including qualifiers, he has seven goal involvements (3 goals, 4 assists).
· Ronwen Williams featured in his 12th AFCON game and fourth finals, equalling Andre Arendse for most AFCON appearances by a South African goalkeeper.
· Williams has kept six clean sheets at AFCON, joint-most for a South African goalkeeper. He made three saves against Angola from four shots.
· Siyabonga Ngezana had 76 touches and attempted 61 passes, completing 52, both the most in the match.
· Aubrey Modiba won eight duels, the most of any player in the game.