Bafana Bafana will face Egypt in an international friendly on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at Cairo International Stadium, bringing another important test for South Africa after a perfect start to their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.
Bafana Bafana have won both of their opening qualifiers, defeating Guinea 2-1 before producing a convincing 5-0 victory over Eritrea in Cairo on 30 September.
The six points have given South Africa a positive start in Group D, while the Egypt friendly provides head coach Pitso Mosimane with an opportunity to continue assessing his squad against experienced continental opposition.
Bafana Bafana arrive in Cairo with momentum
South Africa opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory over Guinea at Orlando Stadium on 26 September. They followed that result with a dominant performance against Eritrea, winning 5-0 and scoring four of their goals in the first half.
Relebohile Mofokeng was among the standout performers, scoring twice as Bafana Bafana secured their second consecutive victory. The result left South Africa with six points from six, seven goals scored and only one conceded after two matches.
The opening two qualifiers have given Mosimane valuable competitive minutes with his squad, but the Egypt encounter presents a different challenge.
Egypt offer another test
Egypt are also involved in the AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign and have collected four points from their opening two Group B matches.
The Pharaohs began with a draw against Angola before recording a 5-0 victory over South Sudan. Their meeting with South Africa will therefore bring together two nations that have made positive starts to their respective qualification campaigns.
Unlike the AFCON qualifiers, Sunday’s match will not carry competitive points. It nevertheless gives both coaching teams an opportunity to assess players and tactical combinations.
Mosimane can continue squad assessment
With the two AFCON qualifiers completed, Mosimane has an opportunity to manage his squad differently against Egypt.
The Bafana Bafana coach has brought a mixture of established internationals and younger players into the national-team setup. The friendly could provide further opportunities for players who did not feature prominently during the opening qualifying matches.
It also gives Mosimane the chance to assess how his players respond to a different tactical challenge and a higher-profile opponent.
Mofokeng among players to watch
Mofokeng’s two-goal performance against Eritrea has naturally placed attention on the young attacker ahead of the Egypt match.
The youngster showed confidence and attacking quality in Cairo, contributing significantly to South Africa’s five-goal victory.
His development will be closely followed as Mosimane continues to build a squad capable of competing across both AFCON qualification and future international competitions.
Match details
Match: Egypt vs South Africa
Competition: International Friendly
Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
Venue: Cairo International Stadium, Cairo, Egypt
Kick-off: 20:00 SAST
The fixture will take place in Cairo, where Bafana Bafana have remained following their victory over Eritrea.
A useful test before qualification resumes
The Egypt friendly comes at a useful point in South Africa’s international programme. Bafana Bafana have already collected maximum points from their first two AFCON 2027 qualifiers, meaning the coaching staff can use the friendly to continue developing the squad without the pressure of qualification points.
The match will also provide another opportunity to build combinations, evaluate players and expose the squad to a different style of opposition.
For Bafana Bafana, the immediate objective is to maintain the positive momentum created by victories over Guinea and Eritrea while continuing to prepare for the remaining AFCON 2027 qualifying fixtures.
After a perfect opening to their qualification campaign, South Africa now face Egypt in Cairo with another opportunity to measure their progress on the international stage.
