Puso Dithejane's 51st minute winner handed South Africa a 1-0 friendly win over Egypt in Cairo on Sunday as Pitso Mosimane picked up a third win in as many games over his first international break since being reappointed.
Mosimane - previously in charge of the team from 2010-2012 - was officially reappointed on Sep. 1, succeeding Hugo Broos after the FIFA World Cup. He generally opted for continuity in his first two competitive matches in charge - a 2-1 home win over Guinea and a 5-0 win over Eritrea in Cairo, both in Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying.
Having remained in Cairo for a friendly against the Pharaohs, Mosimane rung the changes. Only centre-back Ime Okon and midfielder Sphephelo Sithole retained their starting spots after the Eritrea game and the pair were among eight Bafana starters substituted off at some point in the Egypt friendly.
Usual captain Ronwen Williams was replaced as a starter in goal by Sipho Chaine, who was substituted off for Ricardo Goss during the last 30 minutes. Both Chaine and Goss made important saves to preserve Bafana's clean sheet against an attack that was missing Trabzonspor's Mohamed Salah (rested to avoid injury risks), but featured other stars - notably Tottenham Hotspur's Omar Marmoush (on loan from Manchester City).
Marmoush had the first real chance of the game in the ninth minute, timing his run superbly to get on the end of a long ball, but flashing his low shot wide from close range.
Egypt continued to threaten, with Mohamed Hany firing narrowly over the bar on the half-volley from just outside the box four minutes later.
Bafana began to grow into the game and both teams had chances as the half progressed. Egypt should have broken the deadlock in the 35th minute, but Mostafa Ziko fired straight down Chaine's throat from close range after getting on the end of an Ibrahim Adel cross.
Bafana's starting fullbacks - Mamelodi Sundowns duo Fawaaz Basadien and Thabang Matuludi - were serial thorns in Egypt's side. In the 38th minute, that combination almost produced an opener. Basadien's pass found Luther Singh, who laid on to Matuludi. The right-back hit it with his first touch, firing narrowly over the bar.
Dithejane finally broke the deadlock in the sixth minute of the second half, getting on the end of a long ball from Shandre Campbell and rounding both goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir and centre-back Hossam Abdelmaguid before tapping in.
Egypt had several opportunities in a feisty final half-hour. Ricardo Goss made point-blank saves from headers from Hamza Abdelkarim in the 72nd minute and Osama Faisal deep in stoppage time. Adel's follow-up from the latter save rattled the crossbar.
The Pharaohs could argue they were unlucky not to have a penalty in the 75th minute, when Matuludi appeared to catch Faisal with a sliding challenge inside the box. Algerian referee Nabil Boukhalfa was unmoved.
Ultimately, Hossam Hassan's side had mostly themselves to blame for failing to end the winning start of a coach they know all too well - Mosimane previously won two CAF Champions League titles with Egyptian giants Al Ahly after his first with Mamelodi Sundowns was won in a two-legged final against Zamalek.
Mosimane's first international break back at the helm of Bafana Bafana can be chalked off as a success and potentially a statement that he and South Africa are not to be counted out as contenders for next year's AFCON in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.