Hugo Broos marked his 50th match in charge of South Africa with a hard-fought victory as Bafana Bafana edged a resilient Angola 2-1 to kick off their 2025 AFCON campaign on Monday night.
The win at the Grand Stade de Marrakech secures a vital three points in Group B, providing the perfect start for the 1996 champions as they look to build early momentum in the tournament.
Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster provided the clinical edge for Broos’ side, while Show’s strike served as a consolation for a resilient Angolan team. Despite the win, South Africa were forced to weather an early storm. The Palancas Negras nearly took the lead when Gelson Dala rose unmarked to power a close-range header toward goal, but Bafana captain Ronwen Williams reacted sharply to smother the effort.
The South Africans responded quickly as the lively Oswin Appollis saw a goal-bound effort deflected by a desperate block in the fourth minute. However, defensive vulnerabilities remained a concern for Broos; in the 14th minute, Williams was called upon once more, producing a fine save to parry Kialonda Gaspar’s stinging volley after the Bafana backline was caught static.
OSWIN APPOLLIS SCORES BAFANA BAFANA’S FIRST GOAL AT 2025 AFCON
Bafana Bafana turned up the heat and took the lead in the 20th minute, when Appollis slammed home a powerful low shot, beating Angolan goalkeeper Hugo Marques with a beauty of a finish. It was a great team effort, with Lyle Foster and Sipho Mbule setting it up perfectly for the Orlando Pirates man.
However, the Palancas Negras kept pushing, with Dala causing trouble again, and Williams had to make a reactionary save on the line to keep out his header.
Angola’s pressure paid dividends in the 35th minute, when Show beat Williams with a low back heeler from a free-kick delivered by Alfredo Kulembe Ribeiro. Show’s goal levelled matters between the Southern Africa counterparts going into the half-time break.
LYLE FOSTER’S WONDER STRIKE SEALS THE WIN FOR BAFANA
Upon return, Bafana thought they had grabbed the lead again on the 51st minute, but were left dejected after Tshepang Moremi’s effort was flagged offside after a VAR check.
A few moments later, Mbekezeli Mbokazi‘s effort hit the crossbar, leaving Bafana on the edge. They kept pushing, but the game was mostly a midfield battle, with Angola refusing to back down.
Angola finally succumbed as Lyle Foster showed his class in the 79th minute, smashing a beauty from outside the box. Moremi set him up perfectly for that powerful stunner. And that was enough to earn Broos’ men maximum points, as focus quickly shifts to the second match against Egypt.
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