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A goal in each half from Egypt killed off any hope of Australia taking anything from the game, but it was the flat, sloppy, slow display that would set alarm bells ringing for coach Holger Osieck.

A last minute penalty after a very soft challenge from skipper Lucas Neill gave Egypt their final goal from the spot and sealed Australia's humiliation against the nation ranked 10th in the world.

Mistakes were made across the park from front to back, with wayward passes, squandered opportunities and poor marking and a lack of pace gifting a well-organised and skillful Egypt their win.

The game did give Sasa Ognenovski his first Australia cap and he put in 65 minutes before being replaced by Jade North.

In a final test for Australia ahead of the Asian Cup in January, Australia served up their worst performance of the fledgling reign of manager Holger Osieck.

The Socceroos may have slightly edged their opponents in the game's early stages, but they lacked energy and invention in Cairo and cutting edge appeared as foreign to Australia as their surroundings.

The game's opening goal proved the catalyst.

Ognenovski made his long-awaited debut for Australia after the high of spearheading his Seongnam Ilhwa side to an AFC Champions League final win on Saturday.

But the former Adelaide United centre-back witnessed first-hand the ruthlessness of international football when, having been pulled slightly out of position, he could only watch as Ahmed Abdul Zaher lapped up the crumbs of a Luke Wilkshire block to poke Egypt in front after 28 minutes.

The opening goal only served to spur the home side on, and ever-lively midfielder Ahmed Fahty sent Mark Schwarzer scuttling with a fizzing shot three minutes later.

Australia's route back into the game was made all the tougher when Blackburn midfielder Brett Emerton - making his return from suspension - needed to be replaced by Richard Garcia after suffering what appeared to be a hamstring tweak.

Having controlled the tempo of the game through deep-lying midfielders Jason Culina and Mile Jedinak early on, Australia was now clearly on the back foot.

But despite the home side's domination, the Socceroos were able to hold out until the 59th minute before they were conceded again.

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata had introduced high-profile trio Ahmed El Mohamady, Mohamed Zidan and Gedo among a flurry of substitutions, and they combined for the former to slot past Schwarzer in the game's best move.

The usually unflappable Schwarzer was one of several Socceroos to appear off colour, straying several passes and making unconvincing contact with a cross early in the second half.

So too was Tim Cahill. In-form for English Premier League club Everton, Cahill was uncharacteristically subdued in his 79 minutes on the pitch.

He snatched at an opportunity Brett Holman smartly carved out in the 25th minute, dragging a left-foot shot wide.

And it was clear the evening was never going to belong to Australia when - three minutes into the second half - he rose unmarked to a Culina corner but inexplicably missed the target.

Australia's disappointing night was made complete on 89 minutes when Lucas Neill was adjudged to have fouled Gedo in the area, despite replays supporting the Australia skipper's protests.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Zidan - after six months on the sidelines due to a long-term knee injury - made no mistake from the spot, sending the Socceroos spiralling to their worst defeat since the 4-0 loss to Germany in their opening World Cup game in June.

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