South Africa secured their place in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages with a nervy 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe at the Stade de Marrakech, courtesy of a late Oswin Appollis penalty in a pulsating Group B encounter that eliminated their southern African rivals from the tournament.
Bafana Bafana finished second in the group with six points, one behind winners Egypt, whilst Zimbabwe exited the competition at the group stage for the sixth consecutive time despite producing their most spirited performance of the campaign.
The match lived up to its billing as a decisive southern African derby, with both sides demonstrating attacking ambition from the opening whistle. South Africa, needing only a draw to progress, nevertheless adopted an aggressive approach under coach Hugo Broos, who showed his attacking intentions with his team selection.
Bafana Bafana required just seven minutes to break the deadlock, though fortune played its part in the opener. Tshepang Moremi’s shot from the right side of the penalty area took a wicked deflection off Zimbabwe defender Divine Lunga, completely wrong-footing goalkeeper Washington Arubi as the ball looped into the net. The goal represented Moremi’s first international strike and gave South Africa the perfect start to a match they could not afford to lose.
Zimbabwe, facing elimination with anything less than victory, refused to be cowed by the early setback. The Warriors pressed forward with purpose, and their attacking enterprise was rewarded in spectacular fashion in the 19th minute through a moment of individual brilliance that will be remembered as one of the goals of the tournament.
Tawanda Maswanhise collected possession 35 yards from goal before embarking on a mesmeric dribble that left two South African defenders in his wake. With Bafana Bafana’s backline exposed, the midfielder drilled a low shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to restore parity. The quality of the finish underscored Zimbabwe’s determination to extend their tournament beyond the group stage.
The first half continued at a frantic pace, with both sides creating opportunities but struggling to convert territorial dominance into clear-cut chances. South Africa enjoyed more possession but found Zimbabwe’s defensive organisation difficult to breach, whilst the Warriors threatened on the counter-attack through their pace and directness.
The second period began with South Africa regaining the initiative, and they restored their advantage five minutes after the restart through a calamitous Zimbabwe defensive error. Lunga attempted a back header to his goalkeeper Arubi, but the execution proved woeful, allowing Burnley striker Lyle Foster to nip in ahead of the stranded custodian and nod the ball into an empty net.
The goal represented Foster’s second of the tournament and appeared to have given South Africa the cushion they required to see out the victory. However, Broos’s concerns about his side’s defensive vulnerability proved prescient as Zimbabwe equalised for the second time in the 73rd minute through another moment of misfortune for Bafana Bafana.
Maswanhise’s low shot from distance was well-saved by Williams, but the rebound struck South African defender Aubrey Modiba before deflecting into the net for an own goal. The manner of the equaliser epitomised Zimbabwe’s fighting spirit and set up a dramatic final quarter as both sides recognised that the next goal would likely prove decisive.
As the clock ticked down and tension mounted inside the stadium, the decisive moment arrived with 10 minutes remaining. Zimbabwe midfielder Marvelous Nakamba was penalised for handball on the goal line following a VAR review. Moroccan referee Mustapha Kechaf pointed to the spot without hesitation.
Appollis, who had been introduced as a substitute, stepped up with the weight of South Africa’s tournament on his shoulders and made no mistake, sending Arubi the wrong way to score his second goal of AFCON 2025. The penalty proved decisive, extinguishing Zimbabwe’s hopes of a late comeback.
The final minutes saw Zimbabwe throw bodies forward in search of a third equaliser that would have kept their qualification hopes alive, but South Africa’s defence held firm despite the late onslaught.
South Africa coach Broos will acknowledge his side’s passage to the knockout stages with satisfaction, though he will be concerned by the defensive frailties that allowed Zimbabwe to equalise twice. Bafana Bafana, who finished third at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast and have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, have yet to hit top gear in Morocco but possess the tournament experience to pose problems for any opponent in the last 16.
For Zimbabwe, the defeat represented a heartbreaking end to a campaign that promised much but ultimately delivered familiar disappointment. Coach Marian Marinica can take pride in his side’s resilience and attacking quality, particularly Maswanhise’s outstanding individual display, but elimination at the group stage extends Zimbabwe’s wait for a first-ever AFCON knockout appearance.
The result confirmed the final Group B standings, with Egypt finishing top on seven points ahead of South Africa on six. Angola finished third with two points and face an anxious wait to discover whether they will progress as one of the four best third-placed teams, whilst Zimbabwe’s solitary point from three matches left them rooted to the bottom of the group.
South Africa will remain in Morocco for their last-16 encounter, where they will face the runners-up from Group F, whilst ending Zimbabwe’s hopes of reaching an AFCON knockout stage for the first time in their history.
