December 22, (THEWILL) — Lyle Foster delivered a crucial late goal to give South Africa a 2-1 win over Angola in their Africa Cup of Nations opener at Stade de Marrakech on Monday. The Burnley forward struck in the 79th minute to restore his side’s advantage after Angola had drawn level in the first half.
South Africa took an early lead through Oswin Appollis, who finished smartly into the bottom-left corner in the 21st minute. Angola responded well and equalised 14 minutes later when Show found the net with a clever finish. The match remained finely balanced until Foster’s intervention late on.
Bafana Bafana created further opportunities throughout the contest, with Mbekezeli Mbokazi striking the woodwork during their search for a winner. The result moved South Africa to the top of Group B ahead of the clash between Egypt and Zimbabwe later in the day.
South Africa finished third at the 2024 tournament and will harbour ambitions of going further this time around in Morocco. They are chasing only their second Africa Cup of Nations title in the competition’s history.
Foster’s contribution proved vital in getting their campaign off to a winning start against stubborn Angolan opposition. The three points give Hugo Broos’s team early momentum in what promises to be a competitive group stage.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
