A first-half penalty from Mohamed Salah was enough to hand Egypt a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa in their Group B clash at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Agadir on Friday, sealing qualification for the knockout stages.
Salah opened the scoring after winning a penalty when he was clipped in the face by defender Khuliso Mudau during a tussle in the penalty area. The Liverpool forward calmly converted from the spot, registering his second goal of the tournament.
The Pharaohs’ task became significantly harder just before halftime when Mohamed Hany was sent off for stamping on Teboho Mokoena, receiving a second yellow card and leaving Egypt to play the entire second half with 10 men.
South Africa dominated proceedings after the break, launching wave after wave of attacks. They were denied a penalty of their own following a lengthy VAR review for a possible handball, a decision that left them feeling aggrieved.
Despite registering 17 shots in the second half, South Africa struggled for cutting edge in the final third. Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy produced key saves, including stops from Mudau and Aubrey Modiba, to preserve Egypt’s lead.
The win takes Egypt to six points from two matches, confirming them as group winners with a game to spare. South Africa remain on three points, while Zimbabwe and Angola sit on one point each following their earlier 1–1 draw.
The defeat marked South Africa’s first competitive loss under coach Hugo Broos in almost two years, while Egypt advanced with confidence as the first team into the AFCON knockout rounds.
Friday’s AFCON results
Zambia 0-0 Comoros
Morocco 1-1 Mali
Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe
Egypt 1-0 South Africa.