Puso Dithejane scored on his Bafana Bafana debut as South Africa stunned Egypt 1-0 at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday night.
The victory completed a perfect three-match international window for Pitso Mosimane’s side, following AFCON 2027 qualifying wins over Guinea and Eritrea.
Dithejane broke the deadlock six minutes after half-time after capitalising on a mistake from Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. The 22-year-old kept his composure to finish into an empty net and seal a memorable victory for Bafana.
Mosimane’s youngsters deliver
Mosimane made nine changes to the team that thrashed Eritrea 5-0, giving several younger and fringe players an opportunity to impress against one of Africa’s heavyweight nations. Only Ime Okon and Sphephelo Sithole retained their starting places.
The changes initially showed as Egypt started strongly, but Bafana gradually settled and grew into the contest.
Mosimane was particularly pleased with the way his younger players handled the pressure.
βIt was a little difficult. You saw in the first five minutes that we could not find our feet. Itβs normal because we brought in the younger ones. We changed the whole team. It takes a little time to gel and to come in, but as the game progressed, we gained confidence,β Mosimane said.
He added that the youngsters were not afraid to take on the challenge.
βWhat I like is that theyβre not afraid to play and we need to give them a chance. I let them swim with the sharks, threw them in the deep end. Yeah, they swam.β
Bafana stand firm
Egypt pushed for an equaliser after Dithejane’s goal, but South Africa defended resolutely.
Goalkeeper Ricardo Goss was introduced in the second half and made a crucial save to deny Hamza Abdelkarim, while Egypt also hit the crossbar late on.
Bafana held on to claim a famous away victory.
Ramaphosa backs Bafana
The victory came on a memorable night for South African football, with President Cyril Ramaphosa visiting the Bafana dressing room before kick-off.
Ramaphosa, who was in Egypt for the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, was introduced to the players by SAFA president Dr Danny Jordaan before watching the match from the stands.
Jordaan later congratulated the team after their impressive victory.
A perfect start for Mosimane
The win gives Mosimane three victories from three matches since returning to the Bafana dugout in this international window.
South Africa beat Guinea 2-1 before demolishing Eritrea 5-0 and then overcoming Egypt 1-0.
The results provide an early boost for Mosimane as he builds a squad capable of competing for AFCON 2027 qualification and beyond.
Final Score
Egypt 0-1 South Africa
Goal: Puso Dithejane 51′
SEO Meta Description
Puso Dithejane scored on his Bafana Bafana debut as South Africa stunned Egypt 1-0 in Cairo to complete a perfect three-win international window.
SEO Keywords
Bafana Bafana, Egypt vs South Africa, Puso Dithejane, Pitso Mosimane, Bafana Bafana Egypt, South Africa football, AFCON 2027, Cairo International Stadium, Bafana Bafana latest news
Social Media Caption
πΏπ¦ BAFANA STUN EGYPT IN CAIRO!
Puso Dithejane scored on his Bafana Bafana debut as South Africa secured a memorable 1-0 win over Egypt.
π₯ Guinea 1-2 South Africa
π₯ Eritrea 0-5 South Africa
π₯ Egypt 0-1 South Africa
Three games. Three wins. Eight goals scored. Just one conceded.
Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana are making a statement.
About the Author
