With the local-based Bafana Bafana team having beaten Egypt on Sunday to advance to the next round of the 2024 CAF African Nations Championship, the Egyptian coach has revealed he felt obliged to thank all the South African players after the match.
Led by Molefi Ntseki, South Africa claimed a 3-1 away win in the second leg of their CHAN qualifying clash against Egypt on Sunday.
Neo Maema, Yandisa Mfolozi, and Siphelele Luthuli were the scorers for Bafana on the day, ensuring that Bafana advanced to the final stage of qualifying with a 4-2 aggregate win.
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After the match, the Egypt manager Wael Riad was full of praise for his opponents, insisting that South Africa consisted of players with greater pedigree than his team.
According to Arabs 365, Riad said: "It was a very beneficial experience by all standards, and I find it remarkable, especially considering the inclusion of players wearing the national team jersey for the first time. Therefore, they should be given the opportunity to participate regularly and refine their skills.
"We had to take part in these qualifiers and form a local-based national team as quickly as possible to avoid any sanctions against the Egyptian Football Association. Consequently, we utilised players from the professional league, along with a very small number from the Egyptian Premier League.
"We were keen on closing down the pitch against South Africa in the first leg, and we successfully imposed our style of play and implemented the tactics we had trained for. However, in the second leg, there was a lapse in concentration that led to two goals. In the second half, we had the chance to equalise or at least reduce the deficit.
"South African players compete in top-tier clubs in their Premier League (PSL), most of them playing for big teams like Sundowns, SuperSport, and other major clubs. Additionally, they are all international players.
"I made sure to thank all their national team players after the match, despite the defeat."
Bafana will face Malawi in the final round of the CHAN qualifiers as they look to book a spot in the actual tournament, which gets underway in August this year.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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