South Africa Aims to Edge Egypt Again, Drawing on 2019 Magic in CAN 2025

Context

The Scotsman Stuart Baxter, former coach of the South Africa national team, says his side’s chances of beating Egypt look brighter in the second group stage match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, now taking place in Morocco.

Egypt and South Africa share the Group B lead with three points after their respective openers: Egypt defeated Zimbabwe 2-1, while South Africa edged Angola 2-1.

In a television interview, Baxter stated, "South Africa has a bigger chance to beat Egypt. The team is highly organized and talented, whereas Egypt relies more on individual brilliance, and has stars capable of making a difference."

He recalled: "Our plan against Egypt in AFCON 2019, played at Cairo Stadium, delivered a historic win. I focused on denying Salah and Trezeguet the ball, and it was indeed a night to remember."

"Mohamed Salah was frustrated in that match because we didn’t allow him to control the ball or create chances, so he couldn’t threaten our goal."

Baxter revealed he was among the candidates to coach Egypt after that game, but nothing materialized formally.

Notably, Baxter was the coach who helped South Africa oust Egypt in AFCON 2019, which adds significance to his comments ahead of Friday’s encounter given the historical context between the two sides.

Outlook and Stakes

With both teams on three points after the first round, Friday’s game is a crucial Group B matchup that could shape the remainder of the tournament.

Punchline 1: Baxter’s plan is so precise that even the scoreboard needs a GPS to catch up. Punchline 2: If Egypt wants to surprise, they’d better bring a map—Baxter’s tactics already know every corner of the pitch.