WeeklySA_AdminCAMPAIGN: The AFCON Group B opener reignites a long-standing rivalry between the two Southern African nations, with the Angolans going into the encounter unbeaten in their last six meetings…
By Own Correspondent
South Africa and Angola will meet at the Marrakesh Stadium in Morocco on Monday as they open their Group B campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Morocco 2025.
This will be the fifth meeting between South Africa and Angola at AFCON finals. Kick-off is at 17h00 local time (16h00 GMT).
Across their previous four meetings, Bafana Bafana have recorded two wins, with the other two matches ending in draws.
All four previous AFCON clashes between the sides have come in the group stages.
On the four occasions when the teams were drawn together in the same group, only one progressed to the knockout stages each time — South Africa in 1996, 1998 and 2013, and Angola in 2008.
They first met at the 1996 AFCON in Johannesburg, where South Africa won 1–0 thanks to Mark Williams’ only goal of the game.
They met again in 1998, playing out a goalless draw in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.
A decade later, they drew 1–1 in Tamale, Ghana. Manucho gave Angola the lead in the 29th minute before Elrio van Heerden equalised for South Africa in the 87th minute.
Their most recent AFCON meeting came in 2013, when hosts South Africa won 2–0 on matchday two in Durban, with goals from Siyabonga Sangweni and Lehlohonolo Majoro in the 30th and 62nd minutes.
This will be the third time the nations open an AFCON finals against each other, having also met on matchday one in 1998 and 2008.
This is their first meeting at AFCON in North Africa. They previously met twice with South Africa as hosts (1996 and 2013), while their other two clashes took place in West Africa.
Angola are the second nation South Africa will face for a fifth time at AFCON, along with Morocco.
South Africa are the first country Angola will meet for a fifth time at AFCON — the most times Angola have faced any single opponent at the tournament.
Overall, this is the 20th meeting between the nations. South Africa have nine wins, Angola four, with six of the previous 19 matches ending in draws.
Their last meeting came on 15 June 2025 in the COSAFA Cup final, where Angola won 3–0.
Angola are unbeaten in their last six matches against South Africa, winning three and drawing three.
South Africa’s last victory over Angola came in the second leg of a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying second-round match on 17 November 2015, a 1–0 win.
Egypt vs Zimbabwe
Egypt and Zimbabwe will meet at the Stade Adrar in Agadir for the second time at the Afcon tournament, this time in a Group B clash that kicks-off at 21h00 local time (20h00 GMT) on Monday.
This is the 14th meeting between Egypt and Zimbabwe overall.
Egypt have dominated past encounters, winning eight of their previous 13 matches, with four draws and one Zimbabwe victory.
Their only previous AFCON meetings came in opening matches at the 2004 and 2019 tournaments, both won by Egypt.
