South Africa defeated regional rivals Zimbabwe 3-2 in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group B match at the Marrakesh Stadium on Monday evening, securing a place in the last 16 of the continental tournament.
Bafana Bafana claimed the win, thanks to goals from Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster and Oswin Appollis, clinching second place in Group B behind Egypt.
South Africa will advance to play the runner-up from Group F (one of Ivory Coast, Cameroon or Mozambique) on Sunday, January 4, 2026, in Rabat.
As for the Warriors, they finished bottom of the group and kept up their unfortunate record of elimination in the group stage in all of their AFCON tournament appearances.
South Africa threatened from early on and duly claimed the lead in the seventh minute, with Moremi’s shot-cross from the right of the penalty area deflecting off Divine Lunga and evading goalkeeper Washington Arubi to find the back of the net.
