Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane will put his emotions aside when he leads his team against Egypt in an international friendly in Cairo on Sunday night (6pm kickoff) as he looks to continue establishing his blueprint and refining the side.
Mosimane has enjoyed a fruitful first international window as Bafana coach, winning his opening two games after beating Guinea 2-1 and Eritrea 5-0 in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers in Orlando and Cairo, respectively.
He has since remained with the team in Egypt as they prepare to face the hosts in a friendly at the Cairo International Stadium. His return to Egypt has been emotional, further amplified by a visit to his old club, Al Ahly, where he enjoyed immense success during a trophy-laden two-year tenure.
As such, facing Egypt will not just mean coming up against the dominant force of African football — seven-time AFCON champions — but also returning to his second home. However, Mosimane insists he will not put sentiment ahead of the team’s development.
Speaking to Safa.net, Mosimane vowed to rotate his squad, giving fringe players, newcomers, and returnees a chance to showcase what they can offer in the near future and during crucial qualifiers.
“We are pleading for patience and support for them,” Mosimane urged Bafana fans while backing the players who will feature on Sunday.
“They are breaking through and we need to see what we have in our ranks. Unfortunately, we have a big team in Egypt 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.”
Goalkeepers Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss are expected to see action, as well as outfield players Fawaaz Basadien, Khulumani Ndamani, Shandre Campbell, Puso Dithejane, and Tashreeq Matthews.
Mosimane will notably be without the injured duo of Bathusi Aubaas and Teboho Mokoena after they sustained knocks against Eritrea and Guinea, respectively. However, he remains unfazed, maintaining that the clash with the Pharaohs is all about expanding his pool of trusted personnel.
“It is a friendly game and we need to see what they are capable of at this level. So we plead for patience and support for these youngsters,” Mosimane explained.
“The country must understand that we have played the qualifiers and we are done. That is the most important thing.
“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.”
