South Africa’s national football team booked their place in the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic 3-2 win over Zimbabwe in Marrakech on Monday.
Oswin Appollis converted a penalty in the closing stages to secure second place in Group B and eliminate their southern African rivals from the tournament.
South Africa finished the group with six points, one behind Egypt, who topped the standings. Both teams advanced to the last 16, while the Angola national football team ended third on two points and now face an anxious wait to see if they qualify among the best third-placed sides.
South Africa took the lead inside seven minutes when Tshepang Moremi scored his first international goal. His effort deflected off Divine Lunga and looped into the net, catching Zimbabwe off guard.
South Africa beat Zimbabwe 3-2 to book their spot in the AFCON round of 16 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/6uTgkOznfF
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 29, 2025Zimbabwe responded in style in the 19th minute, with Tawanda Maswanhise scoring. The midfielder picked up the ball from distance, beat two defenders, and fired a low strike past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in what proved one of the goals of the tournament.
After the break, South Africa regained the advantage. A misjudged back header from Lunga to goalkeeper Washington Arubi allowed Lyle Foster to nip in and head home from close range.
Read: Achraf Hakimi Fit for Morocco vs Zambia as AFCON Group Stage Nears End
Zimbabwe refused to fade and levelled again in the 73rd minute. Williams saved Maswanhise’s low shot, but the rebound deflected off Aubrey Modiba and rolled into the net for an own goal.
South Africa take the lead again! 🇿🇦⚽
Lyle Foster took advantage of a double mistake in Zimbabwe’s defense and fired the ball into the net to make it 2–1 for the Bafana Bafana 🔥⚽#beINSPORTS #beINAFCON2025 #CAN2025 #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025 #AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/6XnsmwZ2ZA
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) December 29, 2025With 10 minutes remaining, South Africa earned a penalty when Marvellous Nakamba blocked a shot with an outstretched arm inside the box. Appollis kept his nerve from the spot and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 3-2.
The goal shattered Zimbabwe’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage at the sixth attempt, despite creating enough chances to earn at least a draw.
South Africa, which finished third at the previous AFCON and has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, showed attacking promise but also defensive vulnerability. Head coach Hugo Broos will likely focus on tightening the back line as the tournament progresses.
For Zimbabwe, the defeat ended a spirited campaign marked by flashes of quality but undone by defensive lapses and missed opportunities.
