Pitso Mosimane Plans Wholesale Changes for Bafana Bafana's Friendly Against Egypt
- Pitso Mosimane has outlined his plans for the Bafana Bafana squad ahead of Sunday's clash with Egypt in Cairo
- Several players who are yet to feature during the three-match camp are expected to get their chance against the Pharaohs
- Two key Bafana Bafana midfielders have been ruled out of the Egypt friendly due to injury
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Twitter
SOUTH AFRICA — Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has confirmed that he intends to ring the changes significantly when South Africa face Egypt in an international friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, 5 October 2026, with kickoff set for 21:00 Cairo time.
Speaking to SAFA on Friday, 3 October 2026, Mosimane explained that his plan from the outset of this extended three-match camp was to give every squad member meaningful game time. The camp included two 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, with the Egypt match serving as the final fixture.
Mosimane calls for patience as new faces get their shot
The coach made it clear that players who have yet to feature will make up the bulk of the starting line-up against Egypt, and he urged South African fans to be patient with the less-experienced members of the group.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
"We are pleading for patience and support for them. They are breaking through and we need to see what we have in our ranks.
"Unfortunately we have a big team that we have to play against on Sunday. The challenge is we have to let them swim with the sharks, but we've got nothing to lose," Mosimane said.
He added that the qualifier results made this the ideal moment to test depth.
"It is a friendly game and we need to see what they are capable of at this level. The country must understand that we have played the qualifiers and we are done.
"It is important to build for the next FIFA World Cup and if we don't put them in now, when are we going to see them? We do not have friendly games until the Africa Cup of Nations next year, so this is the only chance they have."
Players set to feature against the Pharaohs
Goalkeepers Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss are among those expected to earn minutes, along with Fawaaz Basadien, Khulumani Ndamani, Shandre Campbell, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews and Cassius Mailula.
Injury concerns and rising youth talent
The midfield remains a concern. Both Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena are carrying injuries and will not feature on Sunday.
On a more encouraging note, Mosimane said he has been monitoring the South African Under-20 and Under-23 sides closely.
The Under-20s won back-to-back COSAFA U20 Men's Championships over the past weekend. The Under-23s beat Algeria 3-1 at the Dr Rantlai Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Thursday, 2 October 2026, as part of their 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games preparations.
"We saw the U23s, we watched the game and we are happy with what we saw, we are happy with the prospects," Mosimane said.
Amajita coach calls for more preparation time ahead of AFCON
Briefly News previously reported that Amajita coach Raymond Mdaka wants significantly more preparation time ahead of the 2027 U20 Africa Cup of Nations after South Africa successfully defended its COSAFA U20 Championship title.
Mdaka said Amajita had only about a week to prepare for COSAFA, with the tournament falling outside the FIFA calendar and several players still completing their matric examinations.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
