Under normal circumstances, Egypt would be deemed firm favorites to beat South Africa but the Bafana Bafana have every reason to believe they have a better chance to win Saturday’s anticipated Nations Cup qualifier.
Ranked 35th in FIFA ranking, 12 places above South Africa, and seven-time African champions, Egypt are reeling following the country’s popular uprising which forced former president Hosni Mubarak to step down.
The suspension of football activities for more than two months threatens to derail the Pharaohs’ progress in the qualifiers, having already taken its toll on Egyptian clubs who experienced the ill-effects of fitness problems in African club competitions.
Ahly labored to a 2-0 home victory over South Africa’s SuperSport United after struggling for long spells in a Champions League encounter while Zamalek slumped to a surprise 4-2 defeat at Tunisia’s Club Africain in the same competition after committing dreadful defensive blunders.
“Egypt has been affected by the protests and we have to take advantage,” South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane, who took over at the team following last year’s World Cup in which they bowed out at the group stage, said.
“This is also an opportunity for South Africa to stop this North African domination of the continent.”
Egypt risk the unthinkable prospect of missing out on a place in the Nations Cup after making a poor start to their Group G campaign in the qualifiers. They were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Sierre Leone before slumping to a stunning 1-0 loss at lowly Niger.
A win for South Africa, who are leading the group with four points from two games, will move them close to securing passage to next year’s finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
“We believe we can win this game. We feel the pressure, but we wouldn't be here if we didn't like the pressure,” Mosimane added.
“It is our time now. We have played Brazil and we showed who we are. I was also looking at the whole team of Spain [in a picture at the Royal Marang hotel in Rustenburg]. I saw Pique, I saw Xavi, I saw Torres, I saw Iniesta. I said ‘oh okay we played them two times.'
“We also took Brazil to the 90th minute before conceding a goal and we beat France 2-1. So we should be able to play Egypt.”
Sense of patriotism
Egypt can make the most of their revolt and emerge winners on Saturday, coach Hassan Shehata believes.
The three-time Nations Cup winner, who is widely regarded as the best coach in the team’s history, challenged his players to defy the odds and secure a precious away victory which would put them level on top with South Africa.
The leaders of the 11 groups in the qualifiers and the best two runners-up will qualify for the Nations Cup.
"The match will be difficult due to the football stoppage in Egypt, we could not prepare properly for it," Shehata, who led the Pharaohs to CAN triumphs in 2006, 2008 and 2010, commented.
"But I believe the players' spirit will be higher than ever now because their sense of patriotism has become stronger following the revolution."
Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan is set to spearhead Egypt’s attack, given the absence of influential strike duo Emad Meteb of Ahly and Amr Zaki of Zamalek who are both injured.
Egypt will miss long-term absentee and veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who has just recovered from a serious knee injury he picked up against Sierra Leone in September last year.
The last time both sides met saw Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in a friendly game in London in November 2006.
Egypt have never met South Africa in CAN qualifiers but beat them twice in the tournament itself, including a memorable 1-0 victory in the 1998 final in Burkina Faso
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