Soccer
Bafana Bafana beat Egypt to advance─── MORGAN PIEK 09:38 Mon, 10 Mar 2025
Bafana Bafana have progressed to the next round of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers after beating Egypt in the second leg in Ismailia, Egypt, on Sunday night.
Bafana secured a 3-1 victory over the Pharaohs at the Suez Canal Stadium, just a week after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Bloemfontein-born captain Neo Maema opened the scoring on the banks of the Suez Canal in the 15th minute, before Yandisa Mfolozi doubled South Africa’s lead 11 minutes later.
Yandisa Mfolozi. Photo: Morgan Piek
Egypt pulled one back in the 32nd minute, with the striker Mohamed El Sayed Khalil Abouelenein finding the back of the net. However, South Africa restored their two-goal advantage in the second half through a Siphelele Luthuli penalty, after former Bloemfontein Celtic striker Victor Letsoalo was fouled in the box.
South Africa managed to hold out for the victory which saw Bafana progress with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Following the outstanding win against a very tough opponent, the stand-in coach Molefi Ntseki credited the victory to a collective team effort.
“When it comes to the second leg against Egypt, I think we won the game in our training sessions because our plan really worked out,” said Ntseki.
“The players managed to implement it, and they showed a high level of technical endurance – the ability to execute the game plan for the longest period. I think they did that brilliantly.
“What also worked in our favour was scoring early, which unsettled Egypt at their home ground, as well as the discipline we showed without the ball. That was one of the key aspects of our performance.
Neo Maema. Photo: Morgan Piek
“The players on the bench and in the grandstand also played their part by giving us the support we needed. The bench, technical team, and support staff were all behind the team, and we’re now looking forward to the next phase of the qualifiers.”
Their next opponent is yet to be confirmed, but the final round of qualifiers will be played in May. The first leg is scheduled for 2-4 May, while the return leg will take place between 10-11 May. The final tournament is set to be held in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in August.
