South Africa defender Khuliso Mudau has broken his silence on the controversial penalty awarded to Mohamed Salah in Egypt’s 1-0 win over Bafana Bafana at AFCON 2025 in Morocco.
Mudau conceded the spot-kick late in the first half, when Salah went down inside the box after contact between the pair, prompting the referee to review the incident on VAR before pointing to the spot.
Salah converted confidently in the 44th minute, earning Egypt three vital points and securing their passage to the last 16 as group leaders.
Speaking to South African broadcaster SABC Sport after the match, Mudau admitted he was still unconvinced by the call, saying: “I don’t know if this situation deserved a penalty or not, but in my opinion it is not a penalty and the referee gave it.” He stressed that players “cannot do anything” about refereeing decisions and must instead keep their focus on what comes next.
Mudau underlined that South Africa have no time to dwell on the controversy, pointing ahead to a decisive clash with Zimbabwe that will determine their qualification hopes for the round of 16.
Egypt now top Group B with 6 points, followed by South Africa on 3, while Angola and Zimbabwe have one point each.
