After Egypt vs South Africa — Former Mali international highlights “clear inconsistency” in refereeing

26.12.25 FT AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt

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South Africa

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Egypt’s 1 - 0 victory over South Africa at AFCON 2025 has sparked widespread debate.

The Pharaohs secured their second straight win in Group B at the tournament in Morocco thanks to 1st half penalty converted by Mohamed Salah.. officially booking their place in knock out stages.

However the manner of the win has left South Africa feeling hard done by.

Salah Penalty after lengthy VAR review

The decisive moment came just before half-time when Egypt were awarded penalty following VAR check.

Salah went down in the box after contact from South Africa right-back Khuliso Mudau who appeared to catch the Liverpool star in the face during defensive challenge.

The referee initially waved play on but VAR intervened leading to prolonged review that lasted several minutes. Eventually the official pointed to the spot , with Salah calmly converting to score his second goal of the tournament.

The decision immediately drew protests from the South African players who felt the contact was minimal and insufficient for penalty at such crucial stage of the match.

The most contentious incident of the match arrived deep into stoppage time. South Africa appealed strongly for penalty after the ball appeared to strike the arm of Egyptian defender Yasser Ibrahim inside the box during last-ditch challenge.

Once again VAR intervened, resulting in another lengthy stoppage. The referee then decided against awarding penalty and resumed play with the ball dropped.

The ruling was reportedly justified under Law 12 regarding handball interpretation but it failed to convince South African players and staff.

Brahim Thiam criticises inconsistency

Former Mali international & beIN Sports analyst Brahim Thiam openly questioned the consistency of the officiating.

“How can you award penalty for such small foul on Salah and then refuse to give one in this situation?” Thiam said. “If I were South African I would feel seriously wronged.”

Despite the controversy, Egypt held on to secure vital win that guarantees qualification to the round of 16 with game to spare.

Bafana Bafana meanwhile must regroup quickly. They now face decisive final group match against Zimbabwe on Monday knowing that qualification remains in their own hands.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations