AFCON 2025: Hugo Broos Reacts to Denied Late Penalty, Shares Conversation With Mohamed Salah
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was furious following South Africa's 1–0 loss to Egypt in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations encounter, later disclosing details of his post-match exchange with Mohamed Salah.
South Africa headed into the game with one win after defeating Angola in their first match in the competition on Monday, December 22, 2025. A first half controversial penalty scored by Salah gave Egypt a narrow win over Bafana Bafana despite playing a large part of the match with 10 men.
Egypt have secured a place in the second round of the competition with the win, while Bafana Bafana will need to beat Zimbabwe in their last group game next week.
Broos reacts after Bafana were denied penalty
Broos explained that Salah was deemed to have been brought down in the penalty area by an outstretched arm from Khuliso Mudau after a VAR review, a decision that stood out as one of the two pivotal officiating calls in the contest.
South Africa appeared set to be awarded a late penalty, but after a VAR review the incident was ruled not to be handball inside the box, with the North African side controversially instead given a drop ball.
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Broos said officials spent nearly an hour before the tournament outlining dozens of laws, yet their application remained inconsistent, with the same incidents alternately judged as fouls, penalties or red cards depending on the moment.
He added that the sheer volume of interpretations has left everyone confused, pointing to the opening penalty as an example, revealing that even Mohamed Salah admitted after the match he was shocked it had been awarded, describing the decision as absurd.
Broos also questioned the logic behind the officials’ handling of his side’s penalty claim, noting that they had previously stated any arm positioned away from the body should result in a spot-kick, which he believed clearly applied in that situation.
Instead, he said the explanation was changed to the idea of a “supporting arm”, a concept he criticised as being invented on the spot, insisting the ball struck an outstretched arm and should unquestionably have been given as a penalty.
Source: Briefly News
