Egypt has opted to host Bafana Bafana’s 2023 AFCON qualifier opponents Liberia in one of two September friendly dates after plans to play South Africa fell through.
Bafana and Egypt had been in talks over the last couple of months about meeting in a September friendly that would have been played in Dubai.
Egypt would have been a quality test run for Bafana, whose other AFCON Group K qualifiers opponents are Morocco.
But the Egyptian Football Association is now set on facing Liberia and Niger. Both of Egypt’s friendly matches will be played at home in Cairo.
Egypt will kick off their friendly series against Niger on September 23 and then face Liberia on September 27.
The two dates will also mark new Egyptian coach Rui Vitoria’s debut following his appointment in July on a four-year contract.
Victoria replaced Egyptian Ehad Galal who was fired just two months into the job.
Galal oversaw just three matches beating Guinea 1-0 but lost 1-0 away to Ethiopia, including a crushing 4-1 defeat on the road to South Korea.
The Portuguese-born coach has named a preliminary 24-member team of home-based players for his September friendly training.
Vitoria is expected to unveil his overseas call-ups for the Niger and Liberia dates on September 4.
But Vitoria’s provisional list does not include players from Egyptian champions Zamalek, who have CAF and Arab club cup obligations between September 9-17.
Meanwhile, Bafana has now settled friendlies during the September FIFA international match window against Sierra Leone and Botswana.
