Bafana Bafana’s path through the AFCON 2025 knockout stages has been set following the dramatic conclusion of the group phase. After finishing second in Group B, South Africa is now preparing for a high-stakes showdown against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions.
Hugo Broos’s men secured their spot in the Last 16 with a resilient group stage performance. Bafana collected six points from three matches, earning hard-fought victories over Angola [2-1] and Zimbabwe [3-2]. Their quest to top the group was narrowly halted by a controversial 1-0 defeat to Egypt, leaving them just one point behind the Pharaohs.
THE OPPONENT: WHY CAMEROON?
After confirming their progression on Monday, Bafana had to wait for the final standings of Group F to determine their next opponent.
In a thrilling finale, the Ivory Coast staged a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down against Gabon to clinch the top spot in the group. Meanwhile, five-time AFCON champions Cameroon secured second place by coming from behind to defeat Mozambique 2-1, setting up the massive Round of 16 clash against South Africa.
Interestingly, the last time they won the AFCON, Broos was in charge of the team. But on Sunday, he must now plot their demise to see Bafana progress.
On Friday, Bafana will relocate to Rabat for their fixture, which is scheduled for a 21h00 kickoff at the Al Barid Stadium on Sunday. They have played two of their group encounters in Marrakech and one in Agadir.
OTHER AFCON 2025 LAST 16 FIXTURES
Senegal kicks off the Last 16 encounters with a clash against Sudan, who secured a spot as one of the best third-place finishers. The match is set for the Grand Stade de Tanger in Tangier at 18h00. On the same day, Mali takes on Tunisia at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.
On Sunday, hosts Morocco face Tanzania, who reached the knockouts for the first time after two draws. The match is one of two in Rabat and will be played at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium at 18h00. Later that evening, Bafana face Cameroon at the Agdal Medina Stadium.
On Monday, Egypt welcome Benin to their base in Agadir, where they have played all group matches. The match is set for the Stade Adrar at 18h00. At the Fez Stadium in Fes, Nigeria will play Mozambique at 21h00.
On Tuesday, Algeria play DR Congo at the Moulay Hassan in Rabat, while Ivory Coast will face Burkina Faso at the Stade de Marrakech.
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