South Africa and Egypt will be meeting for the first time at the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Morocco 2025 when they open their Group B campaign at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca on Monday (kick-off 20h00 local time / GMT).

This meeting between South Africa and Egypt is one of three at CAF tournaments in 2025. They have also been paired together in the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 AFCON, which Egypt will host, as well as at the men’s senior TotalEnergies CAF AFCON in Morocco. 

Egypt U17 coach Ahmed El Kass featured 72 times for the Egyptian national team and scored 23 goals. He faced South Africa twice, losing one game and winning another. 

South Africa have played North African teams at the finals twice previously. They have not won either of these games (D1 L1), both of which have been group-stage meetings. In 2007 they drew 2-2 in their final pool game against Tunisia and in 2023 they began with a 2-0 loss to Morocco.

While this is Egypt’s first meeting against South Africa at the CAF U17 AFCON, they have met Southern African sides twice before, winning both games. On their way to the title in 1997 they defeated hosts Botswana 2-0 in their opening game. 

Egypt’s other game against a COSAFA member nation ended in a 1-0 win in their opening group fixture against hosts Eswatini in 2003.

In both their previous finals appearances in 1997 and 2003 when overcoming Southern African opponents in the group stages, Egypt progressed to the knockout rounds winning the title in 1997 and ending fourth in 2003.

SOUTH AFRICA FACTS
·       South Africa reached the quarter-finals at the last finals in Algeria in 2023, where they were defeated by eventual champions Senegal.

·       South Africa are participating for a fifth time at the U17 finals having first made their debut in 2005. They also qualified in 2007, 2015 and 2023.

·       South Africa have reached the knockout stage in three of their four previous finals appearances. In 2005 they ended fourth and in 2023 they reached the last eight. Their best performance was as runners-up in 2015. Their only group-stage elimination was in 2007.

·       South Africa’s record in their opening group game at the finals reads P4 W0 D2 L2.

·       In their opening group game in 2005, South Africa drew 2-2 against Nigeria, a game where they lead 2-0. In 2007 South Africa opened with a 2-0 loss to hosts Togo, while in 2015 they drew 2-2 against Cote d’ Ivoire, again letting a 2-0 lead slip, in 2023 they lost 2-0 to Morocco.

·       Of South Africa’s previous 12 group games at the finals they have won five – their second group games in 2005 and 2023 against Southern African rivals Zimbabwe (4-1) and Zambia (3-2). Their other group stage wins were a 1-0 triumph in their final pool fixture in 2005 against Cote d’ Ivoire, a 3-1 win against Gabon in their second group game in 2007, and a 3-1 win over Cameroon in 2015. 

·       Of their other seven group games, South Africa have lost three games to Togo in 2007, and Morocco and Nigeria in 2023. They have also drawn four group games.

·       All four of South Africa’s draws at the finals have been 2-2 stalemates. 

·       South Africa are coached by Vela Khumalo, who is a junior coach with Kaizer Chiefs. In the South African squad, eight players are from the Mamelodi Sundowns academy, followed by the Kaizer Chiefs academy who have five players, while Cape Town City have four players in the squad. All of their 21 players are domestically based.

EGYPT FACTS
·       Egypt are participating at the finals for a  fourth time after previous appearances in 1997, 2003 and 2011.

·       Egypt return to the continental finals after missing the last five editions. They last qualified in 2011 when Rwanda were hosts.

·       Egypt were winners when they made their finals debut in 1997. They were fourth in 2003 and were eliminated in the group stages in their last tournament appearance in 2011.

·       Egypt’s record in their opening group game at the finals reads P3 W3 D0 L0. In their previous opening games they have defeated Botswana 2-0 in 1997 and Eswatini 1-0 in 2003. They also won 2-1 against Senegal in 2011.

·       Egypt won their only title in Botswana in 1997, defeating Mali in the final 1-0. Egypt did not concede a goal en route to lifting the title, keeping five clean sheets.

·       In fact, Egypt did not concede a goal in their first eight games the finals through five games in 1997 and three games in 2003. They first conceded in their 2-1 semi-final loss to Cameroon in 2003.

·        In nine group games at the finals, Egypt’s record reads P9 W5 D2 L2.

·       Egypt’s 4-0 loss to Burkina Faso in their final group game in 2011 is their biggest loss at the finals. 

·       Egypt qualified for the finals by finishing top of the 2024 UNAF U17 qualifying tournament, which was held in Morocco in November last year.

·       Nine members of Egypt’s squad play their club football in the youth ranks of ENPPI, a further eight are in the youth ranks of Al Ahly.

·       Of Egypt’s 26 man squad, 24 players are based in Egypt. Only Youssef El Shabrawy of Portuguese club Braga and Mahmoud Shaker of Italian club Pro Vercelli are based outside of the country.   

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