After nearly 15 years, the South African national team is set to reopen a chapter of memories for the Pharaohs, as Egypt's national team nears a friendly encounter against "Bafana Bafana" during the upcoming international break in October—a match that recalls the final appearance of Hassan Shehata with the Pharaohs.
Yalla Kora has learned that the Egyptian national team has agreed to play a friendly match against South Africa on October 4. Read the details.
Mosimane... Three Matches Against the Egyptian National Team
The upcoming clash against South Africa holds special memories for Pitso Mosimane, the current head coach of "Bafana Bafana," who previously faced the Egyptian national team three times during his first tenure.
The first encounter took place in November 2006, when both teams met in a friendly match that ended with a 1-0 victory for South Africa.
As for the second and third matches, they occurred in March 2011 within the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt won the first game 1-0, while the second match ended in a goalless draw.
South Africa... The Final Appearance of Hassan Shehata
The most significant match among Mosimane's encounters with Egypt remains the game between Egypt and South Africa played on June 5, 2011, within the qualifiers for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match ended in a goalless draw, causing Egypt to miss qualification for the tournament held later in 2012. This encounter became Hassan Shehata's final appearance as head coach of the Pharaohs.
After the match, Hassan Shehata revealed in previous statements details about the final hours of his journey with the Egyptian national team, indicating that he received a phone call from the Football Association, then headed by Samir Zaher, while returning home. He was informed that a sovereign authority had requested his departure.
Shehata stated that he had anticipated this decision and complied out of fear of any harm, despite his contract with the Egyptian national team extending until the 2014 World Cup.
An Ending Unbefitting "Al-Mu'allim"
The South Africa match marked the end of Hassan Shehata's tenure with the Egyptian national team, following a period regarded as one of the greatest eras in the history of the Pharaohs.
"Al-Mu'allim" led Egypt to win the Africa Cup of Nations three consecutive times in 2006, 2008, and 2010—an unprecedented achievement across the continent.
Currently, the Egyptian national team is undergoing a closed training camp from September 21 until October 6, which includes matches against Angola and South Sudan on September 25 and 29, respectively, within the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
