Egypt will be slight favourites at 1.723 to beat South Africa in their friendly at 18:00 GMT on 4 October 2026, although both sides arrive after emphatic 5-0 victories. The match will allow the two major African nations to assess their preparation, test tactical options and improve their understanding before their next international commitments.
Egypt will look to use home advantage to control the game, improve their attacking efficiency and strengthen their defensive organisation. South Africa, meanwhile, have won both of their opening Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying matches, beating Guinea 2-1 on 26 September and Eritrea 5-0 on 30 September.
No points are at stake, but the fixture remains an important test for both teams. Their most recent meeting came at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, when Egypt won 1-0.
Form and key players
Egypt began their Africa Cup of Nations 2027 qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against Angola on 25 September before responding with a 5-0 victory over South Sudan on 29 September. Their last five matches have brought two wins, two draws and one defeat: victories over New Zealand (3-1) and South Sudan (5-0), draws against Australia (1-1) and Iran (1-1), and a 3-2 loss to Argentina.
Omar Marmoush scored twice against South Sudan and will be one of Egypt’s main attacking threats, with his pace, movement and finishing likely to test the South African defence. Hamza Abdelkarim also scored on his international debut in that game.
Egypt may be without Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy and central defender Yasser Ibrahim because of medical issues. Mohamed Abdelmonem is continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury. Mohamed Salah was rested against South Sudan partly as a precaution because of the synthetic pitch, and his involvement against South Africa remains to be confirmed.
South Africa have also recorded two wins, one draw and two defeats in their past five matches. They beat South Korea 1-0 at the 2026 World Cup, drew 1-1 with Czech Republic and lost 0-1 to Canada, alongside their recent qualifying victories over Guinea and Eritrea.
Relebohile Mofokeng scored twice against Eritrea, while Iqraam Rayners also found the net. Both attackers will be expected to contribute to South Africa’s forward threat.
The Bafana Bafana will be without Teboho Mokoena after he was injured against Guinea. Bathusi Aubaas is also ruled out after suffering an injury in the first half against Eritrea. Aubrey Modiba and Nkosinathi Sibisi have experienced fitness problems, with their availability dependent on their condition and the technical staff’s decision.
Head-to-head record and betting options
The teams have met 15 times, with South Africa winning eight, Egypt five and two matches ending in draws. Egypt won their Africa Cup of Nations meetings in 1996 and 1998, while South Africa eliminated the Pharaons in the 2019 last 16 with a 1-0 victory. Egypt’s 1-0 win at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 was their latest encounter.
Other available markets include both teams to score at 2.15, over 1.5 goals at 1.37, an exact 3-1 score at 14 and Team 1 to win at least one half at 1.4.
The suggested selections are Egypt to win at 1.723, under 3.5 goals at 1.20, over 7.5 corners at 1.42 and a 2-1 exact score at 8. Previous meetings have averaged about 8.8 corners, although the outcome will depend on the match tempo and attacking play from wide areas.
The odds may change.
