South Africa vs Angola: ‘Statistics get people talking but’ Bafana warned of possible AFCON shock

South Africa and Angola are set for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) meeting in Group B assignment to be staged at the Marrakesh Stadium on Monday.

This will be the the fifth meeting between the nations in the biennial competition. Bafana Bafana had won the initial two played in the country, while spoils were shared in the editions staged in Burkian Faso and Ghana.

However, in recent 10 meetings across all competitions, both teams have managed three wins each, with four ending in draws. Further more, Bafana Bafana haven’t won any of the last five games between the nations, but Palancas Negras have claimed victory on three occasions.

It explains why Angola coach Patrice Beaumelle is bullish regarding his team’s chances on Monday.

Angola to shock Bafana Bafana?

Beaumelle has initially won AFCON with Zambia and Ivory Coast, explaining why he is hoping to have a good start.

“Statistics gets people talking but reality is on Monday night on the field when we start the tournament. Every competition is different and for us the target is not only to play and beat South Africa but to start on a good note and see what happens from there. Afcon is a long tournament and we have to start well,” he said ahead of the game as quoted by The Herald.

“In a match, you have a win, draw or loss and it will be perfect if we win and change our statistics against Bafana. If we draw or lose the match, we will still have two games in hand.

“We are ready to start the competition, our target is not the only to play against Bafana because this is a long process. South African players have a lot of skill and speed, they are confident because they have gone about 26 games without defeat and that is impressive.

“We are humble and it is a good test for us to try and keep on moving forward because they are a good team. We are happy to play against a strong team and we will fight to get a result,” Beaumelle