By Michael Madyira
- Bafana Bafana concluded their unbeaten 2025 Afcon qualifiers with a 3-0 win over South Sudan, topping Group K for the first time since 2015.
- Goals from Rayners, Maswanganyi, and Mokoena secured the victory, with Bafana extending their home unbeaten streak in Afcon qualifiers to 20 matches.
Bafana Bafana signed off their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 3-0 victory over South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday.
It was a commanding display by South Africa marked by Iqraam Rayner’s seventh-minute opener, Patrick Maswanganyi’s follow-up strike on 22 minutes, and Teboho Mokoena’s penalty conversion five minutes into the second-half.
The result saw Hugo Broos’ men ending this campaign unbeaten with a point clear at the top of Group K and, for the first time since the 2015 Afcon qualifiers, Bafana finished at the summit.
On an evening they returned to Cape Town Stadium for the first time in nine years, South Africa have now gone for 20 Afcon qualifiers at home without defeat.
Orlando Pirates star Maswanganyi was rewarded for scoring against Uganda while Fawaaz Basadien was making his debut start for the national team.
Siyabonga Ngezana came in for the injured Mothobi Mvala as Aubrey Modiba was dropped together with Luke le Roux.
South Sudan made two changes from the team that started against Congo-Brazzaville and had only six substitutes on the bench.
As both teams were trying to settle, Rayners slammed home a cutback from Oswin Appollis for his second goal in these qualifiers and fifth in Bafana colours.
It was also Appollis’ fourth assist in this qualifying bid.
South Sudan’s Australia-based goalkeeper Majak Mawith was firm to deny Maswanganyi’s turn-and-shoot – which would have been a replica of the goal he scored in Uganda, had it gone in.
Just seconds after the heroic save, Mawith then turned villain by spilling Mokoena’s shot into the path of Maswanganyi who rounded him and finished into an empty net.
Mokoena then extended Bafana’s lead by tucking the ball into the right bottom corner from the penalty spot to make life difficult for the hosts, after Khuliso Mudau had been fouled inside the box.
Captain Ronwen Williams was celebrating his 50th Bafana cap but, with 16 minutes to go, he made way for Stellenbosch goalkeeper Sage Stephens, who was making his national team debut at the age of 33.
After dazzling on Tuesday, Bafana will now have to wait for just over a year before a Christmas Afcon to kick-off.
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena and his teammates celebrate after scoring against South Sudan
Source: Bafana Bafana
