Khuliso Mudau reacts to controversial penalty decision, asserts Bafana Bafana 'didn't have luck' in 2025 AFCON showdown with Egypt as Hugo Broos shares conversation details that 'even Mohamed Salah said he was surprised about'

Bafana Bafana were defeated 1-0 by 10-man Egypt in their second Group B match at the 2025 AFCON finals at the Stade Adrar in Agadir, Morocco on Friday.

Mohamed Salah's 45th-minute penalty from the penalty spot decided the contest after he appeared to have been hit on the face by Khuliso Mudau.

The Mamelodi Sundowns right-back has disputed the penalty decision.

It was a dramatic match, which later on saw Bafana demanding a penalty after an Egyptian player seemingly handled inside the box towards the end of the match.

But after a VAR review, the referee denied awarding them a penalty.

Mudau feels Egypt were fortunate to be awarded a penalty but has admitted that Bafana were unlucky despite creating several chances.

He adds that improving their finishing will be key as South Africa now prepares to face Zimbabwe in their final Group B game on Monday, needing just a point to advance to the Round of 16.

“I don’t think it was a penalty for Egypt. The referee gave it, and there is nothing we can do. We just need to focus on the next game," said Mudau as per Flashscore.

“We didn’t have luck. We did everything to score but couldn’t. We just need to focus on the next one. There are positives to take, everyone was willing to help the team.   

“We missed a lot of chances. If we make sure we take our chances, we will improve as a team.”

Bafana coach Hugo Broos has revealed details of a conversation he had with Salah regarding the penalty decision.

“Even Salah said to me after the game that he was surprised it was a penalty," said Broos.

"It was ridiculous. In the pre-tournament meeting, they said if the arm is extended away from the body, it is a penalty.    

“Then they said it was his supporting arm. Who invented this supporting arm? His arm was extended and it hit his arm.    

“I want to talk about the meeting you get before a tournament. No one knows what to do. For 45 minutes they explain the rules, there are 25 to 50 rules. It is a penalty, then it is not a penalty," added the Belgian.    

“It is a red card for a player and then it is not. By the end, there are so many rules that no one knows what to do.”

Bafana captain Ronwen Williams has opened up about the decisions that went against his team.

"We are disappointed. The objective in the game was not to lose. We wanted to win or at least get a point to secure qualification, but it wasn’t to be," said Williams.

“We feel a bit hard done by because of the decisions made on the field. We feel it was a soft penalty, and obviously when you look at what happened on the other side towards the end, we should have got a penalty.    

“But that is how football is. We take the lessons and the good things and move on, continuing to believe in this team.    

“We knew they would sit deep because they were a man down. They were just defending their box. We created a few half-chances and some decent chances, but it wasn’t to be.    

“We knew they would sit deep and not give us space in behind, and that is what we look for. There are a lot of lessons to take and we will grow from this," added the Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper.   

“The performance was amazing. They came with a different approach and we didn’t expect a back five. They also put a lot of numbers in midfield, so the first 10 minutes were about adjusting.    

“The fight and the never-say-die attitude were there. We left everything on the field, we just couldn’t get the goal. I am proud of these boys. We showed we can compete against the best. Now it’s about looking forward to the next game on Monday. We will definitely qualify.”

Bafana midfielder Thalente Mbatha also feels they deserved to be awarded a penalty but has challenged his teammates to pick themselves up from the Egypt match.

“We went looking for the win in the second half, so for us it was about putting more attacks together and trying to secure a goal," said Mbatha.

"The coach tried everything, it was just not a good day for us. It is frustrating because we believed it was a free-kick or a penalty for us. 

"The referee went to the screen to check if it was a free-kick or a penalty, but we don’t know what to say. At the end of the day, his word is final.    

“We must come back stronger and get a win on Monday. It is a matter of being confident and believing in our abilities. We do have the quality, but we must be sharper and wiser.”