VAR controversy overshadows Bafana loss as Broos hits out

Broos was particularly incensed by a first-half penalty awarded to Egypt by Burundian referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana, which Mohamed Salah converted just before the break. While there were already questions around that decision, it was the late VAR intervention that denied Bafana a penalty that ultimately pushed Broos over the edge...

"Firstly, I want to talk about the meeting before the tournament. For 45 minutes, they explain the rules to you, and what qualifies as a red card or penalty. In the end, there are so many rules to the point where nobody knows what to do. 

"Take the first penalty call in the game. Even Mo Salah came to me and said, 'I was surprised that was a penalty'.

"It was ridiculous."

READ: AFCON: Angola, Zimbabwe remain in contention after stalemate in Marrakech

The loss brought an end to South Africa’s impressive 27-match unbeaten run on the pitch and leaves qualification delicately balanced. Bafana must now avoid defeat against Zimbabwe on Monday to secure progression to the knockout stages, with Broos insisting the encounter is a must-win.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men shortly before halftime when defender Mohamed Hany received a second yellow card for stamping on Teboho Mokoena. Despite the numerical advantage, Bafana failed to capitalise, and Broos conceded that his side’s first-half performance fell short of the required standard...

"The first thing we have to do before the next one is forget about this game because it's finished. Just because we lost today, it doesn't mean the confidence is gone, we believe we have the quality to beat Zimbabwe."

With limited recovery time, Bafana will return to Marrakech on Friday to fine-tune their preparations for the decisive clash. Broos is acutely aware of the danger posed by Zimbabwe, who themselves remain in contention for qualification should they defeat their neighbours...