AFCON 2025: Broos reveals Salah’s admission over controversial penalty

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has added fuel to the fire following South Africa’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Egypt, revealing that even Pharaohs captain Mohamed Salah questioned the decision that decided the AFCON match.

In a high-stakes Group B encounter at the Grand Stade D’Agadir, a contentious penalty awarded on the stroke of halftime proved to be the difference. The match official adjudged Mamelodi Sundowns defender Khuliso Mudau to have fouled Salah during a physical tussle in the box—a decision that has sparked a firestorm of debate across the continent.

The Salah Confession

Speaking to the media after the final whistle, a visibly frustrated Broos claimed that the Liverpool talisman was just as bewildered by the referee’s whistle as the South African bench was.

“Look at that first penalty—even Mo Salah said to me after the game, ‘I was surprised it was a penalty,’” Broos revealed. “It was ridiculous, really ridiculous.”

The Belgian tactician’s comments suggest that even the beneficiary of the call felt the contact did not warrant a spot-kick, further intensifying the scrutiny on the officiating standards at the 2025 AFCON.

AFCON: Rulebook Confusion

Broos did not hold back in his assessment of the current state of refereeing, criticizing the convoluted nature of the modern handball and foul rules. He highlighted the irony of the pre-tournament briefings where teams were supposedly brought up to speed on the latest regulations.

“Before the tournament, they spent 45 minutes explaining the rules—the 25-50 rules. It’s a penalty, then it’s not; it’s a red card, then it’s not. In the end, there are so many rules that nobody knows what to do anymore,” Broos lamented.

The Bafana coach was equally incensed by a denied penalty claim for his own side later in the match. Broos argued that a clear handball by an Egyptian defender was dismissed by the officials under the guise of a “supporting arm,” a justification he finds contradictory to the instructions given to the teams.

“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 about a supporting arm. Who invents this?”

The Road to Marrakesh At AFCON For Bafana

While the defeat allowed Egypt to become the first nation to secure a place in the knockout stages, South Africa’s fate remains in their own hands.

Bafana Bafana now turn their attention to a decisive tie against Zimbabwe in Marrakesh. With the AFCONGroup B standings delicately poised, only a positive result against their neighbors will guarantee Hugo Broos and his men a spot in the Round of 16.