South Africa Shocks Fans with Opening Loss to Mozambique

The COSAFA Cup 2025 kicked off with a surprise upset as hosts South Africa fell 1-0 to a disciplined Mozambique side in the opening match at Bloemfontein’s Toyota Stadium. Despite dominating possession, Bafana Bafana struggled to penetrate the Mambas’ solid defense, who played with a well-structured low block.

As reported in the info foot, the match turned in the 74th minute when A. Sumbane capitalized on a defensive lapse to score the only goal, silencing the home crowd and putting Mozambique on top in Group A.

Navigating a Treacherous Group Stage

The opening defeat immediately placed Bafana Bafana on the back foot in a competitive Group A. Needing a response, they delivered a vital 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in their second fixture before being held to a goalless draw by Mauritius in their final group match. This sequence of results left the group on a knife’s edge.

Group A Results for South Africa:

• vs. Mozambique: 0-1 Loss;
• vs. Zimbabwe: 2-0 Win;
• vs. Mauritius: 0-0 Draw.

The conclusion of the group stage saw a rare three-way tie, with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique all finishing on four points. Ultimately, the hosts advanced to the knockout stage by the slimmest of margins. South Africa’s +1 goal difference proved decisive, placing them ahead of Zimbabwe (0) and Mozambique (-1) to clinch the top spot.

Knockout Hopes Dashed by Angola in Final

South Africa’s tournament journey ultimately extended to the final showdown, but their quest for the trophy was decisively halted by a clinical Angolan side. In the championship match at Mangaung’s Toyota Stadium, Angola retained their tournament crown with a commanding 3-0 victory over the hosts, a performance headlined by the record-breaking exploits of their striker, Depu. The narrative could have shifted early, as South African defender Ime Okon’s header rattled the crossbar in the first half. However, Angola soon seized control. Depu opened the scoring with a powerful header from a free-kick, his seventh goal of the competition, which set a new record for a single tournament.

He further cemented his legacy shortly after the hour mark, converting a low cross to take his tally to eight goals and secure back-to-back Golden Boot awards. This brace also pushed his career total in the competition to 13 goals, extending his lead as the tournament’s modern-day top scorer. A superb late free-kick from Milson sealed the 3-0 result, concluding any hope for a home-nation triumph. The victory marked Angola’s fifth overall title, moving them level with South Africa in the historical rankings. In the tournament’s third-place match-up, Comoros overcame Madagascar 1-0 to win the bronze medal.