Egypt and South Africa face off in a major international friendly tonight at the Cairo International Stadium, with both teams coming off dominant wins in their respective AFCON qualifiers.
While the Pharaohs thrashed South Sudan, South Africa defeated Eritrea to continue their impressive run.
Historically, matches between these two African giants have been closely contested, with South Africa holding the upper hand in the head-to-head record (eight wins in 15 meetings). However, Egypt claimed the most recent victory, earning a 1-0 win over Bafana Bafana at AFCON 2025.
Is Mohamed Salah Playing Today?
According to a report from journalist Ahmed Shobeir, Mohamed Salah will miss today’s fixture as he is currently in England.
The former Liverpool winger was also unavailable for Egypt’s win over South Sudan, with reports indicating that head coach Hossam Hassan and Salah had a prior agreement regarding his availability.
For the previous fixture, it was reported that Egypt’s management did not want to risk an injury to their star player on the artificial surface at Juba National Stadium. However, there have been no reports suggesting that the same concern is behind his absence from today’s game.
Egypt vs. South Africa Official Lineups
Aside from Salah, defender Mohamed Abdelmonem, Ahmed Fatouh, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Yasser Ibrahim and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy are also unavailable for Egypt.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana will be without Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas, while Aubrey Modiba is also doubtful.
Head coach Pitso Mosimane is expected to rotate his squad heavily today and give younger and fringe players an opportunity to impress.
Egypt:
Shobeir, Hany, Abdel Meguid, Rabia, Karim, Mohannad, Marwan, Emam, Ibrahim, Marmoush, Ziko
South Africa:
S. Chaine, I. Okon, L. Seema, T. Matuludi, F. Basadien, S. Sithole, B. Poggenpoel, T. Matthews, P. Dithejane, L. Singh, C. Mailula
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Oct 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: www.aol.co.uk
