Foster Fires South Africa to Long-Awaited Opening Win

South Africa began their Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a winning note on Monday night, edging Angola 2–1 in Marrakesh to secure their first opening-match victory at the tournament in over two decades.

Goals from Oswin Appollis and Burnley striker Lyle Foster proved decisive in a contest that swung in momentum, as Bafana Bafana showed resilience to recover from an Angolan equaliser and claim all three points in Group B.

The result marked a significant moment for South Africa, who had not won their first match at AFCON since a 2–0 victory over Benin in 2004. In the five tournaments since then, they had drawn twice and lost four times on opening day.

South Africa started with intent, pressing high and forcing early mistakes, though they were almost caught out when Angola captain Fredy Ribeiro tested goalkeeper Ronwen Williams inside the opening 15 minutes. Williams reacted sharply, pushing the shot away to steady his side.

That warning did little to slow South Africa’s momentum. Six minutes later, Appollis capitalised on a loose ball following a Khuliso Mudau delivery, drilling a low effort past 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques to put Bafana Bafana ahead.

Angola gradually wrestled control as the half progressed, with Williams again called into action to deny Gelson Dala from close range. Their pressure eventually told on 35 minutes when Show swept home from a low free-kick into the crowded penalty area, restoring parity before the break.

Foster Delivers After Second-Half Pressure

Tempers flared as the match grew physical, with bookings handed out on both sides as Angola finished the first half strongly. Patrice Beaumelle’s side went into the interval with confidence, having dictated large spells of play.

South Africa, however, emerged with renewed purpose after the restart. They thought they had regained the lead early in the second half when substitute Tshepang Moremi found the net, only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside against Foster in the buildup.

Undeterred, Bafana Bafana continued to push forward. Defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi came close with a long-range strike that crashed off the crossbar, while Foster squandered another opening after being teed up on a swift counterattack.

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The breakthrough finally arrived with 11 minutes remaining. A quick interception and two crisp passes released Foster at the edge of the box, and the striker made no mistake this time, firing past Marques to seal the win.

The goal was Foster’s fourth in six matches for South Africa and capped a dominant second-half display that saw Angola pushed deeper as the match wore on.

South Africa will now look to build momentum as they continue their Group B campaign, while Angola are left to regroup after a spirited display that ultimately went unrewarded.

AFCON 2025 runs until January 18, with the tournament final set to take place in Rabat.