Bafana Bafana take on Zimbabwe in their final Group B clash at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Marrakech on Monday with a draw enough to ensure a place in the knockout rounds.
It won’t be easy against an opponent that has shown enough in these finals to suggest they are competitive against any team, and history in not particularly on Bafana’s side in their final pool games at AFCON finals, where they have not won in 23 years. `
Here are five statistics that paint a picture of the task at hand.
A long history
This will be the first meeting between the two nations at the AFCON finals, and the 19th overall encounter between the sides. Zimbabwe have recorded six wins in previous meetings, while South Africa have claimed nine victories, with three matches ending in draws. Across those 19 encounters, South Africa have scored 22 goals to Zimbabwe’s 16. For South Africa, this will be their fourth AFCON match against a neighbouring country, having previously defeated Namibia in group-stage matches in 1998, 2019 and 2023. Zimbabwe, by contrast, are facing a neighbouring nation at the AFCON finals for the first time.
Familiar foes in recent times
This will be the sixth meeting between Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe under head coach Hugo Broos, who remains unbeaten in the previous five. The first was a 0-0 draw in Harare during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 2021, before South Africa claimed a 1-0 win in the return fixture courtesy of Teboho Mokoena’s winner. Iqraam Rayners scored the fastest-ever Bafana Bafana goal after just 31 seconds in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in 2024, before Thapelo Morena struck twice in a 3-1 victory in Bloemfontein. Kabelo Dlamini and Ime Okon then scored in a 2-0 COSAFA Cup win in June this year, while the most recent meeting ended in a 0-0 draw in Durban in October in another World Cup qualifier. The sides were also due to meet in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers, but Zimbabwe were suspended by FIFA and did not take part.
Ninety-minute battles
South Africa have won just one of their last five AFCON matches in open play (D3 L1), that victory coming against Angola in their opening match of the 2025 tournament. Their last four group-stage wins at AFCON have all been against COSAFA member nations, with two victories against Angola and two against Namibia. The last time Bafana Bafana won a group-stage match against a team from outside Southern Africa was in 2004, when they defeated Benin in their opening game.
A long wait
Bafana Bafana’s record in final group matches at AFCON stands at P11 W2 D5 L4, and they are winless in their third group game across the last seven editions of the tournament (D4 L3). Their most recent victory in a final group match came in a must-win encounter against Morocco in 2002, a 3–1 success with goals from Siyabonga Nomvethe, Thabo Mngomeni and Sibusiso Zuma. Aside from that win, their only other victory in a final group match was a 4–1 triumph over Namibia in 1998, when Benni McCarthy scored all four goals in a remarkable spell of just 13 minutes.
Williams moving up
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made his 13th AFCON appearance against Egypt, the most by a South African goalkeeper, surpassing 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winner Andre Arendse. Williams’ next appearance at the finals would see him draw level with Shaun Bartlett on 14 AFCON matches, the fourth most by a South African player, behind John Moshoeu (19), Lucas Radebe (17), and Mark Fish and current assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, who are both on 16.