Pitso Mosimane, the head coach of the South African national team, explained the reason for making numerous changes against the Egyptian national team, and shared the first thing that came to mind upon arriving at Cairo Stadium.
The South African national team secured a 1-0 victory over the Egyptian national team in a friendly match concluding the current international break.
Mosimane told On Sport: "Many changes? We changed the squad that played in the two qualifying matches, and we started only with players who did not play in the World Cup, giving them the opportunity to feature."
He added, "I am very happy with the participation of the young players against Egypt. These players did not play in the World Cup, and they all started this match. We wanted to see what they could offer, and they played wonderful football. Despite our defensive drop-back, we excelled in speed."
He continued, "I took a 16-month break from coaching due to burnout. Coaches need rest; look at Klopp and Guardiola. We must take care of ourselves. I was busy because I am writing a book about youth football, not about my life."
In response to what he remembered upon arriving at Cairo Stadium, he said: "I remembered the Derby of the Century and Afsha's goal. We had to win that match. At that time, we faced a big team packed with stars. It was a difficult match, but we won."
He revealed, "Egypt has a great team. I don't have Emam Ashour or Zizo. We are small in name, but we play strongly and fight. Look at Al Ahly now; I didn't have those names. If I were present now with these names, we would have achieved greater things."
He concluded, "Al Ahly fans gave me love. This is my country, and I miss them greatly. God willing, I will return. Good luck to the Egyptian national team; they are very strong, and we managed to stop them from creating big chances."
