Head coach Hugo Broos will reach a personal milestone on Monday as he takes charge of his 50th match as South Africa manager, leading Bafana Bafana into their 12th appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations finals after first qualifying in 1996 and missing only the 2010, 2012, 2017 and 2021 editions.
South Africa’s most recent AFCON outing came at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, where they finished third after defeating DR Congo on penalties in the third-place playoff following a semi-final defeat to Nigeria.
Bafana Bafana secured qualification for AFCON 2025 by finishing top of their qualifying group, with a run of consistent performances that highlighted their defensive organisation and tactical discipline under Broos.
In their last nine matches across World Cup Qualifying and friendlies, South Africa recorded six wins and three draws, since their awarded 3-0 defeat to Lesotho.
That sequence included victories over Zambia and Rwanda, along with draws against Nigeria and Zimbabwe in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying.
South Africa’s AFCON pedigree includes lifting the trophy on home soil in 1996, and although they have not repeated that success, their podium finish in Ivory Coast reinforced their status as credible contenders heading into the group stage.
The two sides have met 19 times across all competitions, with South Africa claiming nine wins to Angola’s four and six matches ending level, while at AFCON finals they have faced each other four times in the group stage, producing two South Africa wins and two draws.
Angola begin their AFCON 2025 campaign against South Africa aiming to build on recent continental progress and a strong performance at the previous edition of the tournament.
This competition marks Angola’s 10th appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, having first qualified in 1996 and returned intermittently since then.
Their most recent AFCON outing came at the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, where the Palancas Negras reached the quarter-finals before exiting the competition against Nigeria.
Angola secured qualification for the 2025 finals by finishing top of their AFCON qualifying group, booking their place with matches to spare and showing consistency throughout the campaign.
Across their last 10 matches, Angola recorded four wins, three draws and three defeats, scoring 15 goals and conceding 13 across World Cup qualifiers, CAF competitions and international friendlies.
Angola’s AFCON history has been characterised by gradual progress rather than major honours, with quarter-final appearances in 2008, 2010 and 2023 representing their best finishes.
They also arrive with added confidence from recent regional success, having defeated South Africa 3–0 in the COSAFA Cup final in June 2025.
