Coach of South Africa, Hugo Broos, says he was relieved that Bafana Bafana secured all three points in their 2-1 victory over Angola, kicking off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a positive note, Afrosport reports.
The tactician, however, expressed frustration that his team allowed Angola back into the game after taking the lead.
Oswin Appollis opened the scoring for South Africa in the 21st minute, but Angola quickly responded as Show found the equaliser following a sustained period of pressure.
It took a late strike from Lyle Foster to clinch the win, but Broos was critical of his side’s inability to close out the match earlier.
“As I said before the game, losing your first match puts you in difficulty,” Broos said. “We started very well, played well, and scored. Then, for reasons I don’t understand, we suddenly fell asleep. Angola came into the game, were dangerous with their combinations, and we suffered. There was no aggression, no passion, and our play became slow. You could feel a goal was coming for the opponent, and that happened.”
Broos made a halftime change, replacing winger Mohau Nkota with Tshepang Moremi, a move that immediately revitalised the team and helped them regain control of the match.
“We needed to get back to our usual game and fix some things at halftime. Moremi played well, was quick, and posed a constant threat to the Angolan defense.
“That changed a lot. We became more aggressive and applied more pressure, creating chances. Moremi scored, though it was offside, and Mbokazi had a shot that hit the crossbar. But Lyle’s fantastic goal ultimately secured the victory. Now we can approach our game against Egypt on Friday in a completely different situation than if we had lost today.”
Broos acknowledged that the first-half slump served as a wake-up call for the team but predicted it would be a one-off.
“We must play like we did in the second half, moving forward. The first half was not the South Africa I’m used to seeing, we lacked depth and allowed the opponent to put us under pressure. But maybe it was good that it happened, because it served as a wake-up call. I don’t think it will happen again.”
About last night in Marrakech, Morocco!!! 🔥 🇿🇦 #BafanaPride @10bet_ZA @CastleLagerSA @HonorAfrica @Shield_ZA @SABC_Sport pic.twitter.com/4dQ7pejlAR
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) December 23, 2025
Regarding Bafana Bafana’s prospects in the tournament, Broos remained optimistic.
“This is a tough tournament, and sometimes a bit of luck is needed. We’ll see how far we can go. I’m confident because in the second half, I saw the passion and aggression I want from my team,” he said
South Africa will take on Egypt, who left it late to beat Zimbabwe 2-1, in their next game.
