Egypt lose South Africa friendly as Mohamed Salah's absence continues

Egypt suffered a 1-0 friendly defeat to South Africa in Cairo on Sunday, as Mohamed Salah's ongoing absence continued to burden the national team. The match at the Cairo International Stadium saw Bafana Bafana's Puso Dithejane score the lone goal, capitalizing on a mistake by Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan faced more questions than answers, given the team's poor performance and the controversy surrounding his remarks and Salah's recent absence.

The Egyptian Football Association explained that Salah was granted permission to miss the game to prevent potential injury risks due to the match's artificial surface. Salah's absence compounded the issues for Hassan, who has been under scrutiny for his comments about goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and the players' fitness levels.

After the match against South Sudan, Hassan remained defiant, particularly regarding Salah's importance to the team. Despite Egypt's efforts to gel, they struggled to find their footing in the first five minutes of the match, ultimately falling to a humbling defeat as Mosimane's experimental Bafana Bafana side secured their third consecutive victory.