Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was left furious after their 1-0 defeat to Egypt in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations clash and revealed what Mohamed Salah said to him after the game.
Broos stated Salah, who was adjudged to have been fouled inisde the area by a flailing arm of Khuliso Mudau, after Video Assistant Refeeree (VAR) decision, which was one of two major calls in the game.
South Africa looked to have won a penalty in the final minutes of the game, which was sent to VAR, and adjuded to have not been a handball inside the area, as the North Africans, bizarrely received a drop ball deicison.
“Before the tournament, 45 minutes they explained the rules, 25-50 rules, it’s a penalty, then it’s not a penalty, then it’s a red card for hitting a player, then it’s not a red card, then it’s whatever,” Broos said.
“In the end there’s too many rules that nobody knows anymore what to do. Look at the first penalty, even Mo Salah said to me after the game; ‘I was surprised it was a penalty’. It was ridiculouus, really ridiculous.
“And then we take our penalty, in the meeting they said when the arm is extended from the body it’s a penalty, the arm was extended so it was a penalty. Then they say nonsense it was a supporting arm, who invents this?
“It hit an extended arm. It’s a real penalty.”
The result sees Egypt become the first nation to qualify for knockout stages of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.