South Africa AFCON 2025 Preview: Settled Squad, Weight of Expectation & Predictions
Bafana Bafana is set to compete in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, carrying hopes of winning the prestigious trophy. South Africa, under the guidance of coach Hugo Broos, boasts a young and talented squad, aiming to improve on their 2023 third-place finish. Despite facing stiffer competition this year, their recent form and tactical prowess present a promising outlook. However, their relatively inexperienced squad means they might face difficulty reaching the later stages, with predictions suggesting a quarter-final exit.
Bafana Bafana travel to Morocco for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with hope of lifting the crown. South Africa finished third in the last edition and have a young, vibrant squad to call upon.
The preparation for this tournament has been steady and without controversy. However, the surprise factor of the 2023 edition is gone, and opponents will be wary of coach Hugo Broos’ side.
History at the Africa Cup of Nations
South Africa have one AFCON crown to their name, as captain Neil Tovey lifted the cup in 1996. They nearly defended their crown by finishing as runners-up in 1998. Between 1957 and 1992, they were barred from participating due to their apartheid regime.
After finishing second in their group, they beat Morocco and DR Congo in the knockout rounds. Bafana were beaten 2-0 in the final by Egypt.
In 2023, they finished third despite winning just two of seven matches and relying on penalty shootouts.
| Year | Host Country | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | South Africa | Champions |
| 1998 | Burkina Faso | Runners-up |
| 2000 | Ghana/Nigeria | Third place |
| 2002 | Mali | Quarter-finals |
| 2004 | Tunisia | Group stage |
| 2006 | Egypt | Group stage |
| 2008 | Ghana/Nigeria | Group stage |
| 2013 | South Africa | Quarter-finals |
| 2015 | Equatorial Guinea | Group stage |
| 2019 | Egypt | Quarter-finals |
| 2023 | Ivory Coast | Third place |
The Road to Morocco: Flying High
South Africa made light work of qualification, topping their group with 14 points. They made their way past Uganda, Congo and Sudan to reach the tournament.
Belgian coach Hugo Bross saw his side scored an impressive 16 goals in six matches.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 14 |
| 2 | Uganda | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | Congo | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 12 | -8 | 4 |
| 4 | South Sudan | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 12 | -6 | 3 |
South Africa 2025 AFCON Squad
Coach Hugo Broos has picked a young squad with 11 of the 25 born after the year 2000. However, just 14 of the 25 players have 10 or more caps to their name and there are two uncapped players picked.
The main surprises were the omissions of Themba Zwane and Thapelo Morena, who were starters at the last AFCON. Left-footed attacker Percy Tau is left out.
Iqraam Rayners (striker), Thabo Maloisane (defender) and Mduduzi Shabalala (midfielder) have been placed on the standby list.
| Pos | Name | DOB | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Ronwen Williams | 21 January 1992 | 56 | 0 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| GK | Ricardo Goss | 2 April 1994 | 4 | 0 | Siwelele FC |
| GK | Sipho Chaine | 14 December 1996 | 3 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| DF | Aubrey Modiba | 22 July 1995 | 38 | 3 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| DF | Khuliso Mudau | 26 April 1995 | 26 | 1 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| DF | Nkosinathi Sibisi | 22 September 1995 | 18 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| DF | Siyabonga Ngenzana | 15 July 1997 | 7 | 0 | FCSB |
| DF | Mbekezeli Mbokazi | 19 September 2005 | 5 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| DF | Khulumani Ndamane | 5 February 2004 | 4 | 0 | TS Galaxy |
| DF | Samukelo Kabini | 15 March 2004 | 3 | 0 | Molde FK |
| DF | Thabang Matuludi | 14 January 1999 | 1 | 0 | Polokwane City |
| DF | Tylon Smith | 9 May 2005 | 0 | 0 | Queens Park Rangers |
| MF | Teboho Mokoena | 24 January 1997 | 45 | 9 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| MF | Sphephelo Sithole | 3 March 1999 | 22 | 1 | CD Tondela |
| MF | Bathusi Aubaas | 11 July 1998 | 13 | 1 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| MF | Thalente Mbatha | 6 March 2000 | 10 | 3 | Orlando Pirates |
| MF | Sipho Mbula | 22 March 1998 | 4 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Evidence Makgopa | 5 June 1997 | 21 | 5 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Lyle Foster | 9 May 2000 | 20 | 8 | Burnley |
| FW | Oswin Appollis | 25 August 2001 | 20 | 5 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Elias Mokwana | 8 September 1999 | 9 | 2 | Al-Hazem |
| FW | Relebohile Mofokeng | 23 October 2004 | 7 | 2 | Al-Ettifaq |
| FW | Mohau Nkota | 9 November 2004 | 8 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Tshepang Moremi | 2 October 2000 | 3 | 0 | Orlando Pirates |
| FW | Shandre Campbell | 15 July 2005 | 0 | 0 | Club Brugge |
Prediction: How will they perform?
South Africa are in Group B with Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe.
The Optimist View – With a young squad and an experienced coach who was won this trophy before, South Africa can go to the semi-finals or even all the way.
The Realist View – There is not enough experience compared to the 2023 squad. Opponents will be much more wary of Bafana Bafana than in the last edition, when South Africa was a surprise package.
Prediction - Quarter Final Exit
South Africa should finish in the top two in their group. However, their inexperienced team could fall short in the last eight. After all, they required numerous wins on penalties to reach the semi-finals in 2023.
Fixtures - Angola First Up
| Day/Date | Time (CET) | Match | Venue, City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 22 December | 18:00 | South Africa vs Angola | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh |
| Friday 26 December | 16:00 | Egypt vs South Africa | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh |
| Monday 29 December | 17:00 | Zimbabwe vs South Africa | Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh |
AFCON Winner Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Morocco | 3.75 |
| Egypt | 6.50 |
| Algeria | 7.00 |
| Senegal | 7.00 |
| Nigeria | 10.00 |
| Ivory Coast | 13.00 |
| Tunisia | 13.00 |
| Mali | 13.00 |
| Cameroon | 17.00 |
| South Africa | 41.00 |
| DR Congo | 51.00 |
| Angola | 67.00 |
| Burkina Faso | 81.00 |
| Zambia | 81.00 |
| Gabon | 81.00 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 101.00 |
| Mozambique | 101.00 |
| Benin | 101.00 |
| Sudan | 101.00 |
| Comoros | 151.00 |
| Tanzania | 151.00 |
| Uganda | 201.00 |
| Zimbabwe | 351.00 |
| Botswana | 501.00 |
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