Hugo Broos is set to mark his 50th match at the helm of South Africa on Monday, steering Bafana Bafana into their 12th Africa Cup of Nations finals—a journey that began in 1996 and has only missed a handful of editions since.
South Africa’s last AFCON appearance was in the Ivory Coast in 2023, where they placed third. They beat DR Congo in the third-place playoff after losing to Nigeria in the semi-final.
Bafana Bafana stormed into AFCON 2025 by topping their qualifying group, impressing fans with their rock-solid defense and sharp tactical play.
South Africa boasts an unbeaten run in their last nine matches, with six victories and three draws, aside from a 3-0 setback against Lesotho.
This impressive streak includes victories over Zambia and Rwanda, as well as hard-fought draws with Nigeria and Zimbabwe during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Crowned champions on home turf in 1996, South Africa’s recent podium finish in the Ivory Coast proves they remain a force to be reckoned with in the group stage.
South Africa and Angola have met 19 times; South Africa won 9, Angola won 4, and 6 ended in ties. In the AFCON group stage, they met four times, with South Africa winning twice and drawing twice.
Angola kicks off its AFCON 2025 campaign against South Africa, eager to build on its recent momentum and strong performance at the previous tournament.
This marks Angola’s tenth journey to the Africa Cup of Nations finals, a path that began with their inaugural qualification in 1996 and has seen them return at intervals since.
In the Ivory Coast in 2023, the team played in the AFCON tournament, reaching the quarter-finals but losing to Nigeria.
Angola secured their AFCON 2025 spot in style, clinching top spot in their group with matches to spare and showcasing commanding performances throughout.
Over their last 10 outings, Angola tallied 4 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, finishing with a positive goal difference of 2 across qualifiers and friendlies.
Angola’s AFCON story is one of steady progress, with quarter-final appearances in 2008, 2010, and 2023 marking their highest achievements so far.
Buoyed by their recent regional triumph, Angola enters with renewed confidence after a commanding 3–0 victory over South Africa in the June 2025 COSAFA Cup final.
