Mosimane hails Seema after Bafana Bafana defeat Egypt

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane praised Lebone Seema after the defender helped South Africa secure a 1-0 victory over Egypt in an international friendly on Sunday.

The match was Mosimane’s third since returning as head coach, and his third consecutive win. Seema, 23, was one of nine changes made to the side that started the 2027 AFCON qualifier against Eritrea.

The Orlando Pirates centre-back partnered Ime Okon and completed the full 90 minutes in Cairo. His performance earned particular recognition for the way he dealt with Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, whose pace caused problems but ultimately failed to produce a goal for the hosts.

Marmoush, who plays for Manchester City, was one of Egypt’s main threats. Mosimane said South Africa had prepared specifically for the way the hosts use their full-backs and wide players.

“I know Egyptian football, so we prepared a lot. The ball will always come from the full-backs, and the player at right-back was my responsibility all the time,” Mosimane told Safa.net.

“Marmoush was a little bit of a problem. You can see why he is playing in the Premier League. He is fast and quick, but Lebone is quick.”

Mosimane also explained his decision to retain Okon alongside Seema rather than making another change in central defence for a difficult fixture.

“It was good that we did not change a lot in the centre-back position,” he said. “I did not want Lebone to play alone with [Khulumani] Ndamane in a big game when they were starting together.

“So, I kept Ime in the team for a little while, and I promised Ndamane that he would come on in the second half.”

Seema’s start was one of several adjustments made by Mosimane following the qualifier against Eritrea. The coach used the friendly to assess players in different combinations while maintaining South Africa’s winning run since his return.

The result also extended Bafana Bafana’s perfect record under Mosimane in his first three matches back in charge. Egypt were unable to find an equaliser despite Marmoush’s efforts, with South Africa holding on for a clean-sheet victory.