Bafana Bafana begin their 2025 AFCON campaign against an Angolan outfit that arrives with a growing pedigree on the African stage. Here’s everything to know.
Angola, known as Palancas Negras [Black Sable Antelopes], arrived in Morocco with momentum. They delivered a strong showing in the last AFCON and recently shocked Bafana Bafana in the 2025 COSAFA Cup final.
Here are 10 key insights into the Angolan National Football team:
1. Their best performance in the AFCON is reaching the quarter-finals, which they have achieved in 2008, 2010, and most recently, in 2023.
2. South Africa are yet to taste defeat against Angola at AFCON. In their four previous encounters, Bafana Bafana have two wins and two draws. The results were a 1-0 win in 1996, a 0-0 draw in 1998, a 1-1 draw in 2008, and a 2-0 win in 2013.
3. Angola were one of the surprise packages of the last AFCON. Their results included a draw against Algeria, a 2-0 win over Burkina Faso, and a 1-0 loss to Nigeria in the quarter-finals.
4. The main man will be the forward Gelson Dala. He finished as the joint-top goalscorer with four goals in the previous AFCON tournament. His overall output for Angola is 15 goals in 43 caps. At club level, he currently has two goals in seven games for Al-Wakrah SC in the Qatar Stars League.
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5. Palancas Negras are certified giants in Southern Africa. They are five-time winners of the COSAFA Cup, including the 2025 final, where they defeated Bafana Bafana 3-0 in Bloemfontein.
6. Defender Bastos became the first African player to win the Copa Libertadores and was named the best defender in the Brazilian league in 2024.
7. In the last AFCON, Angola went through their group stage unbeaten for the first time since 2010.
8. Angola has only appeared in the FIFA World Cup once, in 2006.
9. Home games are typically played at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in the capital, Luanda.
10. Not much separates Angola and Bafana Bafana on CAF rankings. South Africa are currently placed 11th in Africa [61st globally], while Angola sits at 19th in Africa [89th globally].
The battle against Bafana Bafana gets underway on Monday, 22 December at 19:00. The Group B opener will be staged at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in Morocco.
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