Pitso Mosimane puts Egypt emotions ahead of Bafana Bafana clash with Pharaohs

Pitso Mosimane will put his strong emotional connection with Egypt to one side when South Africa face the Pharaohs in an international friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday night.

The Bafana Bafana coach returns to a country where he enjoyed some of the most successful years of his coaching career, including a trophy-laden two-year spell at Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

But despite the significance of the occasion, Mosimane has made it clear that sentiment will not dictate his decisions as he continues shaping a South Africa side capable of competing at the highest level.

The 6pm kick-off will provide another opportunity for Mosimane to assess his options, particularly players who have yet to establish themselves as regulars in the national team.

Mosimane has enjoyed an encouraging start since taking charge, guiding Bafana to victories over Guinea and Eritrea in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

South Africa beat Guinea 2-1 in Orlando before producing a more emphatic 5-0 victory over Eritrea in Cairo.

Rather than immediately leaving Egypt after those results, Mosimane has kept his squad together for the friendly against the hosts, giving him an opportunity to continue implementing his ideas while assessing the depth available to him.

‘We’ve got nothing to lose’

For Mosimane, the match presents an ideal environment to test players who may have an important role to play later in the campaign.

He is expected to rotate his squad significantly, with several fringe players, newcomers and returning internationals likely to receive valuable minutes against one of Africa’s most decorated sides.

Goalkeepers Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss are expected to feature, while Fawaaz Basadien, Khulumani Ndamani, Shandre Campbell, Puso Dithejane and Tashreeq Matthews could also be handed opportunities.

Mosimane has called on supporters to be patient with the players as they attempt to prove themselves against a formidable Egyptian side.

“We are pleading for patience and support for them,” Mosimane urged Bafana fans.

He acknowledged the difficulty of throwing inexperienced players into a fixture against Egypt but believes such challenges are necessary if South Africa are serious about developing their squad.

“The challenge is we have to let them swim with the sharks, but we’ve got nothing to lose.”

The match will also come with some unavoidable memories for Mosimane, whose time at Al Ahly cemented his reputation as one of Africa’s most successful coaches.

His return to the club during this international window has added another emotional layer to an already significant trip.

However, the former Al Ahly boss has no intention of allowing those emotions to interfere with the task ahead.

Building for the World Cup

Mosimane will also have to manage the absence of Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena, who picked up injuries during the qualifiers against Eritrea and Guinea respectively.

Their absence provides another reason for the coach to examine alternative options and broaden his group of trusted players.

Rather than viewing the friendly simply as a chance to measure Bafana against Egypt, Mosimane sees it as an important part of his longer-term planning.

He wants players who have not yet established themselves internationally to demonstrate that they can be trusted when the stakes are higher.

“It is a friendly game and we need to see what they are capable of at this level. So we plead for patience and support for these youngsters,” he said.

With the AFCON qualifiers already underway, Mosimane believes the focus must extend beyond the immediate results and towards the next major objective.

“It is important to build for the next FIFA World Cup and if we don’t put them in now, when are we going to see them?”

The coach also sees Sunday’s fixture as a rare opportunity to experiment before competitive football takes over again.

“We do not have friendly games until the Africa Cup of Nations next year, so this is the only chance they have.”

That makes the Cairo encounter significant beyond the result. For Mosimane, the Egypt test is about identifying who can survive at international level, expanding his options and laying the foundations for Bafana’s bigger ambitions.

The Pharaohs may represent both a formidable opponent and a deeply familiar setting, but Mosimane’s priority is clear: use his return to Cairo to build the next version of South Africa’s national team.