South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, fought hard to secure a 1-1 draw against Egypt in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2025 qualifier first-leg match at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. The match, played on Sunday, March 2, 2025, marked Molefi Ntseki’s debut as the caretaker coach of Bafana Bafana.
Despite fielding a makeshift squad, the team showed resilience and determination to stay in contention for a spot in the CHAN 2025 tournament.
Saleng’s Return to Competitive Football
A major highlight for South Africa was the inclusion of Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng in the starting lineup. The talented attacker had not played a competitive match since December 2024, making his return to action highly anticipated.
Saleng played a crucial role in Bafana Bafana’s attacking movements, creating opportunities and testing the Egyptian defense with his pace and dribbling skills.
First Half: A Cagey Affair
The opening 45 minutes saw both teams struggling to break the deadlock, with few clear-cut chances on goal. South Africa’s Samukelo Xulu had little to do in the first half as Egypt failed to seriously test him.
At the same time, Bafana Bafana also found it difficult to penetrate Egypt’s well-organized defense, resulting in a goalless first half.
Second Half: Action Picks Up
Bafana Bafana started the second half with more attacking intent, controlling possession and putting pressure on the Egyptian defense. Monnapule Saleng played a key role in this improved attacking display, forcing Egypt’s goalkeeper into a crucial save just eight minutes after the restart.
However, despite South Africa’s dominance, Egypt took the lead against the run of play, with Mohamed Hassan finding the back of the net.
Determined to fight back, Bafana Bafana made tactical substitutions. The changes boosted South Africa’s attacking flow, and their persistence paid off in the 79th minute when Webber unleashed a powerful long-range strike to level the score at 1-1.
South Africa continued pushing for a winner, but Egypt held firm, and the match ended in a hard-fought 1-1 draw, leaving everything to play for in the crucial second leg.
What’s Next for Bafana Bafana?
With the first leg ending in a draw, Bafana Bafana now face the challenge of getting a positive result in the second leg in Egypt. Given Egypt’s strength at home, South Africa will need to be tactically disciplined and clinical in front of goal to progress to the next stage of CHAN 2025 qualification.
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