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

Egypt suffered a 1-0 defeat to South Africa in a friendly match held in Cairo on Sunday, as Mohamed Salah's continued absence from the team continued to cast a shadow over the Pharaohs' performance. Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, faced more questions than answers following the loss.

The mood among the Egyptian national team had been somber for some time, due to a series of controversial remarks made by coach Hassan and Mohamed Salah's mysterious absence. During the match at the Cairo International Stadium, Puso Dithejane scored the lone goal for South Africa, Bafana Bafana's coach Pitso Mosimane enjoying his third consecutive victory.

Egypt's goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir contributed to the loss by misjudging a ball, allowing Dithejane to score the goal. Salah had been substituted after 60 minutes during the team's previous match against Angola, reportedly to avoid the risk of injury due to the game being played on an artificial surface.

Salah's absence further complicated the situation for coach Hassan, who has been criticized for various remarks regarding goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and the general fitness levels of the Egyptian Premier League players. After the match against South Sudan, Hassan remained adamant, particularly about Salah's importance for the national team, stating, "It is not right for a country of 120 million people for the national team to depend on one player."

Despite the defeat, Mosimane acknowledged that the game was a bit difficult for Egypt initially, as they struggled to find their footing within the first five minutes. He added, "We changed the whole team. It takes a little time to gel and to come in, but as the game progressed, we gained confidence. What I like is that they’re not afraid to play and we need to give them a chance. I let them swim with the sharks, threw them in the deep end. Yeah, they swam."