AFCON 2025: Why Bafana Bafana Were Denied a Late Penalty in Their Defeat Against Egypt

• The match between Bafana Bafana and Egypt came with a lot of drama due to the controversial calls from the match officials
• The Pharaohs of Egypt were awarded a contentious penalty in the first half, and it led to the only goal of the game in Agadir
• Bafana Bafana clamoured for a late penalty also after an Egyptian player handled the ball in the box, but they were not give after VAR check

South Africa's unbeaten run under Hugo Broos has come to an end after their 1–0 defeat to Egypt at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Bafana Bafana won their first match in the competition against Angola on Monday, December 22, 2025, in Agadir. However, their defeat to the Pharaohs at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir on Friday, December 26, 2025, means they are now second in Group B.

Egypt were awarded a penalty in the first half, which was converted by Mohamed Salah. However, they had a player sent off before the half-time break. The decision to award the penalty sparked debate among fans and pundits.

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The match ended in controversy after Yasser Ibrahim blocked Teboho Mokoena's shot with his hand during added time. Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana initially awarded a free-kick to Bafana Bafana. However, replays showed that Ibrahim may have handled the ball inside the box, potentially warranting a penalty.

Why Bafana were denied a late penalty

There have been questions about why Bafana Bafana were denied a late penalty, especially after replays clearly showed that Ibrahim handled the ball inside the area. According to match officials, the referee was recommended to review the play at the VAR monitor. He changed his decision, not to a penalty, but instead awarded a drop ball to South Africa, stating there was no violation.

In a recent football rule released by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body in charge of setting and overseeing the Laws of the Game, the following clarification was provided:

“In principle, if a player is falling and the ball accidentally hits their hand/arm when it is between the body and the ground to support them, the referee allows play to continue. It is not a handball offence as it is a natural position of the hand/arm when the player is falling.”– IFAB, May 2024, via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

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AFCON 2025 VAR controversy: both penalty decisions put under the microscope in Egypt vs South Africa clash

Egypt’s impressive start in Morocco continued, leaving Mohamed Salah still in contention for his long-awaited AFCON crown after missing out on winning the competition in 2017, when Hugo Broos-led Cameroon side defeated them in the final.

Broos sends warning to Bafana players

Briefly News earlier reported that Broos sent strong warning to Bafana Bafana players ahead of their mouthwatering clash against Egypt, which is their second AFCON 2025 group match.

The Belgian tactician was optimistic ahead of facing the seven-time African champions after his team struggled to get all three points Angola in their first match in the competition.

Source: Briefly News