The opening match-day of the 2025/26 Africa Cup of Nations delivered dramatic late winners for both Egypt and South Africa. Now, these two Group B heavyweights clash with a chance to seize control of the group.
Egypt's legendary Mohamed Salah saved the day with a late strike against Zimbabwe, while South Africa's Lyle Foster powered his team to a comeback win over Angola.
This sets the stage for a thrilling encounter between two confident sides with their sights set on the knockout stages.
📈Team Form📉
🔹 Egypt: Began their AFCON campaign with a victory.
🔸 South Africa: Also started the tournament with a win.
📊Key Stats & Head-to-Head 📊
🔥 Both Egypt and South Africa secured three points with late winning goals in their opening AFCON matches.
🔥 Both Egypt and South Africa had great FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaigns with nations securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
🔥 South Africa edges Egypt on H2H with one more win over Egypt’s one, with the two sides never playing out a draw in all their three (3) meetings (two were friendly games).
🔬 What to Expect From Both Teams👀
🇪🇬Egypt | Form: W🟢
Under manager Hossam Hassan, the Pharaohs showed resilience to overcome an early scare against Zimbabwe. However, the performance lacked fluency in the final third.
Relying on the individual brilliance of attackers like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Omar Marmoush, they found a way to win. The potential introduction of Mostafa Mohamed from the start could provide better balance after his impactful assist off the bench.
🇿🇦South Africa | Form: W🟢
Managed by Hugo Broos, South Africa are riding a wave of confidence following their World Cup qualification. They demonstrated their own fighting spirit to overcome an enterprising Angola side.
With players like Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster, they possess a direct and threatening attack. They will believe they have the tools to create significant problems for an Egyptian defence that looked vulnerable in their opener.
👥 Predicted Lineups 👥
🇪🇬 Egypt (4-2-3-1): El Shenawy, Hany, Ibrahim, Abdelmaguid, Hamdi, Ateya, Fathy, Salah, Mostafa Mohamed, Trezeguet, Marmoush.
🇿🇦 South Africa (4-4-2): Williams; Mudau, Ngezana, Mbokazi, Modiba, Moremi, Mokoena, Sithole, Appollis, Foster, Mbule.
🔥 Matchups & Players to Watch 👀
✨ Mohamed Salah — The Liverpool star delivered when it mattered on Matchday 1. His experience and quality remain the Pharaohs' most potent weapon.
✨ Lyle Foster — The Burnley striker came off the bench to snatch the winner for South Africa. His physical presence and finishing will be central to their game plan.
✨ Mostafa Mohamed — His clever assist changed the game for Egypt. A start could be the key to unlocking a more cohesive attacking performance.
✨ Oswin Appollis — He opened the scoring for Bafana Bafana and will be crucial in providing creative energy from the flank.
💵 Odds Market on MSport 💵
💵 Egypt/Home to win = 2.03
💵 South Africa/Away to win = 4.29
💵 Draw = 3.09
💵 Both teams to score (GG/NG Yes) = 2.21
This clash presents a fascinating tactical battle: Egypt's superstar-driven attack against South Africa's cohesive and in-form unit.
With both teams proving they can find winning goals, this match could be one of the group stage's most compelling contests.
Who do you think will take control of Group B? Tell us your prediction in the comments.
🔗 You can follow the Egypt vs South Africa game here on MSport.
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