It was a day of heart-stopping finishes and statement wins at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025 (AFCON 2025). While South Africa ground out a vital victory over Angola, injury-time heroics from Mohamed Salah and Patson Daka stole the headlines in Agadir and Casablanca.
Egypt 2–1 Zimbabwe: Salah’s late show
Record seven-time champions Egypt survived a major scare in Agadir to secure a 2-1 victory over a resilient Zimbabwe side. The Warriors shocked the Pharaohs early on when Prince Dube latched onto a cross to fire Zimbabwe into a 20th-minute lead.
Egypt dominated possession but struggled to find a breakthrough until the 64th minute, when Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush slalomed through the defense to find the roof of the net. Just as a draw seemed certain, Mohamed Salah cemented his legendary status, drilling a low shot into the bottom corner in the 91st minute to hand Egypt maximum points and a share of the top spot in Group B.
South Africa 2–1 Angola: Bafana Bafana edge entertaining derby
In Marrakech, Hugo Broos’ South Africa side continued their fine form with a hard-fought 2-1 win over regional rivals Angola. Oswin Appollis opened the scoring in the 17th minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to slot home. However, Angola fought back, leveling through “Show” (Manuel Cafumana), who flicked in a Fredy free-kick before halftime.
The second half belonged to South Africa. After seeing a goal ruled out by VAR, Bafana Bafana finally found their winner in the 79th minute when Lyle Foster unleashed a sensational strike into the top corner. The win provides a perfect platform for South Africa ahead of their massive upcoming clash against Egypt.
Mali 1–1 Zambia: Daka rescues Chipolopolo at the death
In Group A, Zambia’s Patson Daka proved once again why he is his nation’s talisman, scoring a 92nd-minute header to deny Mali a winning start.
The match in Casablanca was a tactical battle of attrition. Mali had a golden opportunity to lead in the first half, but El Bilal Touré saw his penalty saved by Zambian goalkeeper Willard Mwanza. The Eagles eventually took the lead just after the hour mark through Lassine Sinayoko. Mali looked set to close out the game until the final moments of stoppage time, when Daka rose highest to meet a Mathews Banda cross, silencing the Malian crowd and securing a vital point for Zambia.
Standings at a Glance
- Group A: Morocco leads with 3 points; Mali and Zambia follow with 1 point each.
- Group B: Egypt and South Africa sit joint top with 3 points, separated only by alphabetical order.