South Africa are poised to open their 2025 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group A campaign with a match against Egypt.

The two teams are scheduled to clash at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo on 27 April and kick-off is at 20h00 South African Time.

Amajita would then square off with Tanzania (30 April) and Sierra Leone (6 May), before wrapping their group stage campaign with a match against Zambia (9 May).

Here, Pefmo takes a closer look at Amajita’s matchday one opponents, Egypt.

How They Qualified

Egypt booked their place in the 2025 AFCON finals after finishing second in the 2024 UNAF U-20 Tournament behind Morocco.

The Young Pharaohs recorded two wins, one draw, and one defeat, which saw them end their qualifying campaign with seven points from four games.

In March 2025, CAF announced that Egypt would host the 2025 U20 AFCON edition after Ivory Coast withdrew from hosting the tournament.

U20 AFCON Record

Egypt are one of the most successful teams in the history of the U20 AFCON, having won the competition four times (1981, 1991, 2003 and 2013), and only Nigeria have clinched more titles (seven) than the Young Pharaohs.

The North African side have finished second once (2005) and third on three occasions (1993, 2001, 2011), but they were eliminated in the group stage in the 2023 edition as the tournament hosts.

Coach

The Young Pharaohs have a new coach in Osama Nabih, who has taken charge of several clubs in Egypt, including Zamalek and Baladeyet Al-Mahalla, and also coached in Turkey and Kuwait.

In January 2025, the 50-year-old replaced Brazilian coach Rogerio Micale, who had guided Egypt to the 2025 U20 AFCON finals and Nabih is known for implementing the 4-3-2-1 formation.

Preparations

Egypt played three international friendly matches in 2025 as part of their preparations for this year’s U20 AFCON tournament.

The Young Pharaohs drew 1-1 with their Qatari counterparts before losing 3-2 to Croatia, but they wrapped up their preparations with a 5-1 win over the UAE.

Star players

Ahmed Kabaka – The 20-year-old is a goalscoring midfielder who impressed in the final third during the team’s qualifying campaign.

Kabaka, who is on loan from Al Ahly to fellow Egyptian Premier League club Modern Sport, was the joint top scorer in the UNAF qualifiers with two goals.

Moataz Mohamed – The left-footed defender is the captain of the Young Pharaohs and he is part of Al Ahly’s first team.

Mohamed is a vocal leader who has caught the eye with his defensive skills, good positioning and anticipation.