Pitso Mosimane set to unleash South Africa’s youngsters against Egypt

Pitso Mosimane will use South Africa’s friendly against Egypt on Sunday to assess several emerging players as he continues to shape his Bafana Bafana squad.

The match at Cairo International Stadium kicks off at 18:00, with Mosimane prepared to give opportunities to fringe players, newcomers and returning members of his squad against the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions.

The fixture has added personal significance for Mosimane, who has remained in Egypt since overseeing South Africa’s opening two matches in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. Bafana Bafana beat Guinea 2-1 in Orlando before defeating Eritrea 5-0 in Cairo.

The coach also visited former club Al Ahly during his stay, returning to a team where he enjoyed a trophy-laden two-year spell. Despite the emotional nature of the occasion, Mosimane said personal sentiment would not influence his decisions against Egypt.

Speaking to Safa.net, he confirmed that Sunday’s game would be used to examine the depth of his squad and identify players who could contribute in future qualifiers.

“We are pleading for patience and support for them,” Mosimane said, referring to the younger players who are expected to feature.

“They are breaking through and we need to see what we have in our ranks. Unfortunately, we have a big team in Egypt that we have to play against on Sunday. The challenge is we have to let them swim with the sharks, but we’ve got nothing to lose.”

Goalkeepers Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss are expected to be involved, while Fawaaz Basadien, Khulumani Ndamani, Shandre Campbell, Puso Dithejane and Tashreeq Matthews are also likely to receive playing time.

South Africa will be without Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena, who picked up injuries in the matches against Eritrea and Guinea respectively. Mosimane, however, remains focused on using the friendly to widen the group of players he can trust.

“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.

“The country must understand that we have played the qualifiers and we are done. That is the most important thing.

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