AFCON 2025: Foster and Appollis Strike as South Africa Defeat Angola
Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored in the 79th minute as South Africa edged Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh on Monday, securing their first opening-match victory in an Africa Cup of Nations campaign for 21 years.
Since beating Benin in the 2004 tournament, Bafana Bafana had drawn twice and lost four times in their opening fixtures at subsequent editions of Africa’s premier football competition.
The Group B opener unfolded in three distinct phases. South Africa began brightly and Oswin Appollis struck on 21 minutes before a sparse crowd in the near-42,000-seat stadium. Angola then controlled the remainder of the first half, with Show levelling the score, before South Africa recovered to dominate the second period and Foster sealed the win with a decisive finish.
South Africa attacked frequently in the early stages, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was called into action after 15 minutes, reacting sharply to push away a shot from Angola captain Fredy Ribeiro. Six minutes later Appollis gave Bafana Bafana the lead, seizing on a Khuliso Mudau cross and beating 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques with a low strike into the corner.
Williams again came to the rescue on the half-hour mark, producing a superb point-blank save from a Gelson Dala header. Angola were increasingly on top and it was no surprise when Show, one of many Angolan footballers who use a nickname, equalised after 35 minutes.
Tempers Flare
Siyabonga Ngezana was fortunate to escape a booking after fouling Dala, but the lapse in discipline proved costly on a cold evening in central Morocco. The resulting free-kick was driven low into the South African penalty area and Show connected to steer the ball into the corner.
Tempers rose as the half progressed, with the Sudanese referee cautioning To Carneiro of Angola, followed by South Africans Aubrey Modiba and Sphephelo Sithole. As the teams departed at half-time, Angola coach Patrice Beaumelle would have been the more satisfied, his side unlucky not to be ahead.
South Africa thought they had regained the lead six minutes into the second half when substitute Tshepang Moremi, replacing the ineffective Mohau Nkota, fired past Marques. However, celebrations were curtailed when a VAR review showed Foster, the only South African in the squad playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues, was marginally offside.
Bafana continued to press for a second goal. Centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi ventured forward and unleashed a long-range effort that beat Marques but rebounded off the crossbar. South Africa, on the defensive for much of the first half, were now the aggressors, pushing forward relentlessly.
A swift counterattack saw Moremi outpace a defender before cutting the ball back to Foster, who squandered a fine chance by firing over. Yet Foster redeemed himself with 11 minutes remaining, drilling a shot from the edge of the box beyond Marques to restore South Africa’s lead.
An interception of an Angolan pass followed by two slick exchanges set up the striker to claim his fourth goal in six matches, sealing a long-awaited opening victory for Bafana Bafana.
