Bafana Bafana will close out the international window with a high-profile friendly against Egypt in Cairo on Sunday, 4 October, with two major talking points dominating the build-up.
The first is whether Mohamed Salah will feature for the Pharaohs.
The second is how extensively Pitso Mosimane will rotate his South Africa squad after two competitive AFCON 2027 qualifying victories.
Will Mohamed Salah face Bafana Bafana?
Salah’s availability remains one of the biggest uncertainties surrounding the fixture.
The Liverpool forward missed Egypt’s second AFCON 2027 qualifying match, but the reason for his absence has been the subject of conflicting reports.
According to Goal, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan initially suggested that Salah would sit out the South Sudan fixture because it was played on an artificial surface.
Hassan subsequently gave a different explanation, with KickOff reporting that the Egypt coach referred to “personal circumstances” surrounding the player’s absence.
There have since been differing reports over whether Salah will be available for the meeting with South Africa.
Until Egypt confirm their plans, the question of whether Bafana will face one of Africa’s most prominent attacking players remains open.
Mosimane wants a serious test
For Mosimane, the Egypt friendly represents an opportunity to test his squad against strong opposition rather than simply chase another comfortable result.
The Bafana coach has previously explained his preference for challenging fixtures, telling IOL that he would rather face difficult opposition than arrange matches where victory is almost guaranteed.
Mosimane has also referred to his previous spell in charge of Bafana and the disappointment surrounding the team’s failure to qualify for the 2012 AFCON.
South Africa’s current campaign has started differently, with victories over Guinea and Eritrea giving Mosimane a perfect six points from his opening two AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
The Egypt match is not a qualifier, but it provides another competitive environment in which the new coach can assess his players.
Which Bafana players could get a chance?
Mosimane could use the friendly to give opportunities to players who have had limited involvement during the current international window.
Of the 30 players in his final squad, several are yet to feature under the coach.
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams could potentially be rested, which would open the door for Sipho Chaine or Ricardo Goss.
Fawaaz Basadien, Thabang Matuludi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews and Shandre Campbell are also among those yet to feature.
The fixture could therefore provide Mosimane with an opportunity to examine squad depth while managing the workload of players who have already played significant minutes.
Bafana Bafana vs Egypt: Match details
Venue: Cairo International Stadium
Date: Sunday, 4 October 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 South African time
Match: Egypt vs South Africa – International Friendly
With Bafana already having collected maximum points from their opening two AFCON qualifiers, the Cairo friendly offers Mosimane another chance to experiment, assess his squad and measure his team against one of the continent’s established sides.
And for supporters, there is one obvious question heading into the match: will Mohamed Salah be on the pitch?
