Mosimane backed for choosing Egypt test ahead of AFCON

Pitso Mosimane has been praised for arranging a friendly against African powerhouse Egypt, with former coach Cavin Johnson saying Bafana Bafana must face the continent’s strongest sides to prepare for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana will meet Egypt at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, 4 April 2026, in a fixture that contrasts with the approach taken by former head coach Hugo Broos.

Following Bafana Bafana’s heavy 5-0 defeat by France, Broos said there was little value in scheduling high-profile friendlies against stronger international teams. He argued that such matches could demoralise his young squad.

Broos also declined an invitation to face Morocco in a friendly when Mamelodi Sundowns players were unavailable because of their CAF commitments.

Johnson, who previously worked as Mosimane’s assistant coach at Al Ahly, believes taking on Egypt is the correct decision. However, he has urged Mosimane to use the match to assess players who were not involved in Bafana Bafana’s two AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.

“You won both AFCON matches, and you won the last one by a significant margin. Against Egypt on Sunday, you should test the players who have not yet been tested so that you can make positive assessments ahead of your next match,” Johnson told KickOff.

Bafana Bafana won both qualifiers, including a convincing victory in their most recent match. Johnson believes the Egypt fixture should therefore provide an opportunity to broaden the coach’s assessment of the squad rather than simply rely on the players who have already featured.

He also warned that friendly matches do not automatically influence the FIFA rankings, with the status of a fixture depending on the regulations governing international games.

“Several other factors affect rankings in friendly matches. I remember that we made a mistake once when we played Spain a long time ago. We beat them 1-0, but because Spain made eight substitutions, the match was not considered one that would affect the rankings. You must therefore comply with FIFA’s rules for a friendly to affect the rankings,” Johnson said.

Despite those considerations, Johnson said the sporting benefits of meeting Egypt outweighed the risks of facing a highly rated opponent.

“It is fair for Pitso to play against teams such as Egypt because AFCON is coming up next year. You need to play the strongest countries to prepare properly,” he added.

The match in Cairo will give Mosimane the chance to test his squad against one of Africa’s leading football nations, while also assessing players who were not selected for the recent qualifiers.