* Morocco thrash COSAFA side Zambia 3-0 to seal top spot; another COSAFA nation Angola hold Egypt 0-0 as another COSAFA team Comoros draw with Mali
* COSAFA nation Botswana out after losing two matches and are up against DR Congo tonight as Mozambique with 3 points date Group F 2nd-placed Cameroon, who have 4 points
Maravi Express
South Africa reached the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 after edging a spirited fellow Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) side, Zimbabwe 3–2 in a gripping Group B encounter last evening.
Advertisement
In the other Group B match, COSAFA nation Angola held Egypt 0-0, a match that was more ceremonial for the Pharaohs as they had already qualified after winning their first two matches.
In Group A, hosts Morocco thrashed Zambia 3-0 to seal top spot while Mali secured second spot after drawing 0-0 with COSAFA side Comoros.
The COSAFA derby between South Africa and Zimbabwe swung repeatedly and remained in doubt until the final whistle when South Africa showed composure under pressure to secure a victory that could prove decisive in their qualification bid.
Bafana Bafana made the perfect start, striking inside seven minutes when Tshepang Moremi capitalised on a deflected effort, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Arubi to hand South Africa an early lead.
Encouraged by the opener, South Africa pressed forward with confidence, as Thapelo Mbule and Oswin Appollis drove their side’s attacking momentum — however, Zimbabwe refused to be overawed and their response was swift and spectacular.
In the 19th minute, Tawanda Maswanhise produced a moment of individual brilliance, weaving past several defenders before unleashing a powerful finish to restore parity and ignite the contest.
After an entertaining first half, South Africa regained control shortly after the restart. Defensive hesitation from Zimbabwe proved costly in the 50th minute, allowing Lyle Foster to pounce and cleverly lob Arubi with a looping header to make it 2–1.
Yet Zimbabwe remained a constant threat. Maswanhise came agonisingly close to drawing level again when his fierce strike rattled the post midway through the second half, underlining the Warriors’ attacking intent.
The decisive moment arrived in the final quarter of an hour. Following a VAR review, the referee awarded South Africa a penalty for a handball by Marvelous Nakamba — and Oswin Appollis stepped up and calmly converted from the spot in the 82nd minute, extending South Africa’s lead and seemingly settling the contest.
Zimbabwe were not finished — an own goal from Aubrey Modiba reduced the deficit and sparked a frantic finale, with the Warriors throwing bodies forward in stoppage time in search of an equaliser.
South Africa, though stretched and under sustained pressure, defended resolutely to see out the match. Their ability to withstand Zimbabwe’s late onslaught ensured a vital three points, while the Warriors were left to reflect on a brave performance that ultimately went unrewarded.
The hard-earned win leaves South Africa firmly through to the next round of the competition finishing second with six points, while Zimbabwe will return home after finishing bottom of the group with just one point.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos conceded the match was under control until the moment they scored but after that, the players “repeated the same mistakes as in previous games — poor passing and bad positioning”.
“For the first goal, a player goes past three or four of our defenders without being properly challenged. When you defend like that, you concede goals in every match. In the second half, we dominated again and scored, but we were no longer able to keep the ball and we gave the opponent opportunities in transition.
“I like attacking football, but football is also about defending well,” he said while his counterpart coach Mario Marinica said: “We knew South Africa would have spells of dominance — they are a team that likes to have the ball and knows how to use it.
“We exploited the spaces when they appeared. In certain transition phases, we were dangerous, and that is what allowed us to get back into the match. At this level of competition, every mistake is punished. We tried to stay organised, win our duels and be strong on second balls.”
The match between Angola and Egypt
The encounter at the Stade d’Agadir, Angola and Egypt played out a tense and physical contest and while the scoreline remained unchanged, the match was far from short on drama.
In the end, the draw reflected a match level in goals but not in initiative. Angola were the more enterprising side and may feel they missed an opportunity, while Egypt will be satisfied with a point earned through resolve rather than fluency as the group stage edges closer to its decisive phase.
In Group A, the hosts Morocco responded emphatically to the pressure of a decisive final group match, producing a commanding 3-0 victory over the COSAFA side Zambia — in which the Atlas Lions set the tone early, playing with urgency and clarity from the opening exchanges.
Their dominance was rewarded inside nine minutes when Ayoub El Kaabi opened the scoring. A cleverly worked short corner from the right saw Azzedine Ounahi float an inviting delivery to the far post, where El Kaabi rose unchallenged to head home from close range.
The second goal arrived in the 27th minute, once again highlighting Ounahi’s creative influence. The midfielder slipped a perfectly weighted pass down the left to Abde Ezzalzouli, whose low cross evaded El Kaabi but fell invitingly to Brahim Diaz. The winger showed composure to guide a left-footed finish past goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata Mwanza, doubling the lead before half-time.
Any hope of a Zambian response was extinguished shortly after the interval. Morocco resumed with the same attacking intent, and El Kaabi struck again in spectacular fashion in the 53rd minute.
From another short free-kick routine, Ounahi clipped the ball into the box, where El Kaabi improvised brilliantly, executing an acrobatic bicycle kick with his back to goal. Although initially flagged offside, VAR intervened to confirm the goal, sealing both his brace and the result.
“A hard day for us on how the day went,” said Zambia’s coach Moses Sichone. “Looking at how the game went, I think we gave them too much respect. Some players looked to be nervous but, of course, let me congratulate Morocco.
“It is a hard day for us because we prepared so much for this match, but I don’t think we showed up and Morocco capitalised on the lack of confidence and this is unfortunately the outcome. We looked better in the second half, but it was way too late.”
Despite being held to a goalless draw by COSAFA side, Comoros, Mali booked their place in the knockout stages following a contest that was shaped more by tension than creativity.
Comoros looked dangerous on the break and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Meziani Maoulida found space in behind the Malian defence but hesitated at the decisive moment.
Mali responded with their clearest opening shortly before the interval, when Lassine Sinayoko unleashed a powerful effort that was superbly turned away by the Comorian goalkeeper, preserving parity at the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Mali maintaining territorial control but lacking penetration.
Late drama arrived in the 88th minute when Mali were reduced to 10 men, Amadou Haidara shown a straight red card for a dangerous challenge. Comoros pushed forward in the closing moments, but Mali held firm to see out the draw.
COSAFA nation Botswana out after losing two matches and are up against DR Congo tonight as Mozambique, with 3 points, date Group F 2nd-placed Cameroon, who have 4 points.
Full results
Group A
Morocco 2-0 Comoros
Mali 1-1 Zambia
Zambia 0-0 Comoros
Morocco 1-1 Mali
Zambia 0-3 Morocco
Comoros 0-0 Mali
Group B
South Africa 2-1 Angola
Egypt 2-1 Zimbabwe
Angola 1-1 Zimbabwe
Egypt 1-0 South Africa
Zimbabwe 2-3 South Africa
Angola 0-0 Egypt
Group C
DR Congo 1-0 Benin
Senegal 3-0 Botswana
Benin 1-0 Botswana
Senegal 1-1 DR Congo
Group D
Nigeria 2-1 Tanzania
Tunisia 3-1 Uganda
Uganda 1-1 Tanzania
Nigeria 3-2 Tunisia
Group E
Burkina Faso 2-1 Equatorial Guinea
Algeria 3-0 Sudan
Algeria 1-0 Burkina Faso
Côte d’Ivoire 1-1 Cameroon
Group F
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Mozambique
Cameroon 1-0 Gabon
Gabon 2-3 Mozambique
Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Sudan
Fixtures
Today December 30
18:00 Uganda v Nigeria
18:00 Tanzania v Tunisia
21:00 Botswana v DR Congo
21:00 Benin v Senegal
Tomorrow December 31
18:00 Equatorial Guinea v Algeria
18:00 Sudan v Burkina Faso
21:00 Gabon v Côte d’Ivoire
21:00 Mozambique v Cameroon
* Reporting by CAFonline, edited by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
Advertisement