Bafana's long Afcon rivalry with Egypt reignites

IT'S time to get even, Bafana Bafana.

- MATSHELANE MAMABOLO

It is time to settle the score with the Pharaohs.Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash between South Africa’s senior national team and their Egyptian counterparts will mark the fourth meeting between the two countries situated on opposite tips of the motherland.

It is a crucial clash for both sides, with the winner set to book their place in the knockout stages with a match to spare. Both countries were 2-1 winners in their opening matches — Bafana having beaten Angola, while Egypt got the better of Zimbabwe. A recipe for a humdinger, alright!

Not that clashes between the two are ever anything but.

These, after all, are countries who have built something of an AFCON tivalry since South Africa’s return to the international game.

Three times they have met at the biennial continental showpiece, and there was no love lost on any of those occasions.

It all started in Johannesburg 30 years ago. That encounter stands out like the proverbial fly in the milk of that glorious Africa Cup of Nations in 1996 — the only blemish on Bafana’s excellent tournament.

I have a vivid memory of that match because it took place on my birthday, January 24.