Just a matter of hours before 2026 dawns, Bafana Bafana will find out who their opponents will be in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Round of 16 this weekend.
Bafana finished second in Group B, behind Egypt, to advance to the knockout stages of the continental showpiece.
With the tournament being held in Morocco, it’s unlikely Bafana will do much celebrating on New Year’s Eve, but that may also be because they might find themselves facing some stern opposition in the next round.
With Group F tightly contested, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, or Mozambique could still finish second and end up playing Bafana in the next round.
Ivory Coast and Cameroon Lead Group Standings as Bafana Await New Year Opponent
Ivory Coast and Cameroon are tied at the top on four points, with Mozambique in third on three points.
On Wednesday evening, Gabon, who have lost both their matches so far, will take on Ivory Coast, while Mozambique play Cameroon. Both matches start at 9pm, and will finish around 11pm.
That means Bafana will only find out their opponents an hour before the New Year celebrations begin in earnest.
Bafana’s Impressive Performance Against Egypt in Afcon Group Stage
During Bafana’s group campaign, the most telling clash was their performance against Egypt, which they lost 1-0 on Boxing Day.
Though Egypt were dominant in the first half and were rewarded with a controversial but correctly awarded penalty, which Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah slotted home to bag the 1-0 victory, it was an impressive display from Bafana.
As Egypt were reduced to 10 men for the second half, Bafana looked like a threat until the final whistle. This against one of the tournament favourites spoke volumes.
In fact, it was quite revealing that Egypt, for all their class and attacking intent, were unable to score in open play in that first stanza.
It showed that Bafana, under Hugo Broos, are able to compete tactically with the very best on the continent despite a lack of superstars on their team sheet.
It all bodes well for the knockout stages, and with Bafana playing their Round of 16 knockout match on Sunday, they remain a good bet to pull off a surprise at this Afcon, much like they did in the previous edition.
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
