South Africa Eliminates Egypt from CHAN 2024 Qualifiers with Convincing Win

South Africa has booked its place in the final round of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers after defeating Egypt 3-1 in the second leg, securing a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Decisive Second-Leg Performance

Bafana Bafana stunned Egypt at the Suez Canal Stadium with a dominant display, as coach Molefi Ntseki’s tactical changes paid off. In the 15th minute, captain Neo Maema gave the team the lead, then in the 26th minute, Yandisa Mfolozi of SuperSport United scored.

Mohamed El-Sayed "Sheka" of Egypt answered in the thirty-second minute, but South Africa held the ball and increased their lead in the second half. A penalty converted by Siphelele Luthuli in the 50th minute sealed the win, knocking Egypt out of the qualifiers.

First-Leg Struggles Prove Costly

The first leg in Bloemfontein ended in a 1-1 draw, with Egypt taking the lead through Mohamed Antar in the 66th minute before South Africa equalized late via Craig Web in the 80th minute. Bafana Bafana, however, defeated their Egyptian opponents in the return leg, guaranteeing advancement to the following round.

Malawi is the next challenge.

In the last round of qualifying for CHAN 2024, which Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania will host in August, South Africa will now take on Malawi. The first leg will take place between May 2-4, with the return fixture scheduled for May 10-11.

Having eliminated Egypt, one of the strongest teams in the qualifiers, Bafana Bafana will head into the decisive clash against Malawi with confidence as they look to secure a place in the prestigious tournament.