Bafana and The Pharaohs both won their opening clashes 2-1 over Angola and Zimbabwe respectively, but were not as convincing as they would have hoped.
They now meet in what will likely be the decider for top spot in the pool, and for the winner, if there is to be one, a major boost in confidence.
But there is a damning statistic that will send chills down the spine of Bafana fans ahead of the game.
There have been 21 years, and 21 pool stage matches, since Bafana defeated Benin in their opening match at the 2004 Cup of Nations finals. And in that time they have only managed to beat two teams in the group stages.
Ask any Bafana fan if that can be right and they will surely, despite the team’s much publicised woes in recent times, question it.
But the only victories the team has managed in pool play since then are a pair of wins against Angola (2013 & 2025) and Namibia (2019 & 2023 edition).
They have come up against 13 different teams in that time and not managed to beat 11 of them.
There have been seven draws and 10 defeats, far too many losses in what is supposed to be the easier portion of the competition.
They have not managed back-to-back wins in group games in that time (in fact, the Benin win was the last time they did so), though their biggest ever victory in the pool stages did come in the last edition when they beat Namibia 4-0.
But having said that, this poor run started with their heaviest ever defeat, a 4-0 loss to Nigeria in 2004.
There will be belief though that this Class of 2025, which have matured into a combative and skilled team, can change the narrative, if not against Egypt, where a draw would be a good result, then certainly in their final pool match with Zimbabwe on December 29.
Across all group matches at the finals since their successful debut in 1996, the record is more evenly balanced. Bafana Bafana have recorded 11 wins, 11 defeats and 12 draws in 34 games, scoring 37 goals and conceding 34.
They have kept 12 clean sheets during that time and have also failed to score on 12 occasions.
South Africa’s group stage opponents since beating Benin 2-0 in 2004:
31/01/04: vs Nigeria 0-4
04/02/04: vs Morocco 1-1 (P. Mayo 29’)
23/01/08: vs Angola 1-1 (E Van Heerden 88’)
27/01/08: vs Tunisia 1-3 (Mphela 86’)
31/01/08: vs Senegal 1-1 (E Van Heerden 14’)
19/01/13: vs Cape Verde 0-0
23/01/13: vs Angola 2-0 (Sangweni 30’, Majoro 62’)
27/01/13: vs Morocco 2-2 (M. Mahlangu 71’ Sangweni 86’)
19/01/15: vs Algeria 1-3 (Phala 51’)
23/01/15: vs Senegal 1-1 (Manyisa 47’)
27/01/15: vs Ghana 1-2 (Masango 17’)
24/06/19: vs Ivory Coast 0-1
28/06/19: vs Namibia 1-0 (Zungu 68’)
01/07/19: vs Morocco 0-1
21/01/24: vs Namibia 4-0 (Tau 14’pen, T. Zwane 25’, 40’, Maseko 75’)
24/01/24: vs Tunisia 0-0
