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Lameck Banda, Zambia & Abdel-Hakim Abdallah, Comoros

AFCON Wrap: Zambia and Comoros remain winless

The continental competition reached new intensity on match day two as Egypt stamped their authority with a decisive performance that secured early qualification to the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Group A delivered its own drama as Chipolopolo and the Islanders battled to a hard-fought stalemate, sharing the spoils in a contest that leaves both sides with everything still to play for.

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'He is proving it!' Chiefs icon happy to see Broos prove his doubters wrong after Pirates stars inspire Bafana to victory

The two attackers were making their debuts at the continental football competition and instantly impressed. One grabbed South Africa's winning goal while the other had a strike disallowed for offside as they were a constant threat to the Palancas Negras. In the end, South Africa bagged maximum points and got their Group B campaign off to an encouraging start.

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Bafana's Foster delivers a touch of Premier League class, while Appollis announces authority in AFCON victory

South Africa kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard‑fought 2-1 victory over the Palancas Negras in their Group B opener on Monday, December 22. The contest at Stade de Marrakech was fiercely competitive, marked by physical battles and determined challenges, as both sides sought to impose themselves and set the tone for the journey ahead in the tournament.

Hugo Broos, Bafana Bafana, December 2025

Broos opens up on his spying of Angola ahead of Bafana's AFCON opener

Expectations are high on South Africa to go all the way in this continental competition after settling for a bronze medal at the last edition. Having already secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 1996 African champions will be eager to underline their progress on the African stage. The continental tournament offers them a chance to justify their status as a nation headed to the global football showpiece.

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Bring it on, Bafana! Angola coach declares 'the target is to beat South Africa'

Both COSAFA nations hope to start the competition on a positive note and place themselves in better positions to advance into the knockout phase. However, Bafana carry more pressure, as they have been categorised as among the tournament's favourites given their past performance. Although on paper South Africa look stronger, Angola's tactician has dismissed that notion, declaring that reality will be felt on the pitch.

Jordy Gaspar of Angola challenged by Kabelo Dlamini & Kamogelo Sebelebele of South Africa

2025 AFCON: Bafana vs Angola - Preview, Kickoff time, TV channel & squad news

GOAL gives you the details to follow South Africa's Group B opener at the continental competition against the Palancas Negras at Stade de Marrakech on Monday. The 1996 African champions would be seeking to start their campaign on a high by claiming a morale-boosting victory against their COSAFA rivals. Coach Hugo and his men are on a mission to go a step further after finishing third the last time out.

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Bafana out to start AFCON on a high against Angola

All preparations have been done, and now it’s time for the games to begin. Hugo Broos’ charges have done everything to get ready for the AFCON opener, and now all that is left is for the players to deliver on the pitch. After spending the last few days fine-tuning their preparations in Morocco, they kick-start their campaign with a clash against Angola at the Grand Stade de Marrakech today.

Bafana Bafana, December 2025

Ex-Al Ahly coach believes 'SA will do well at AFCON' & plans to sign players from Pirates-dominated Bafana squad

Given their performance in Ivory Coast in the last AFCON edition, Bafana go into the upcoming finals as pre-tournament favourites. The North Africans, on the other hand, are the record champions and, in addition to the kind of players they have, are automatically tipped as favourites too. Coincidentally, both are in Group B, and football fans will be treated to a high-stakes encounter at the preliminary stage.

Frequently asked questions

A group of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armanent Factory, who called themselves Dial Square, formed a football team in 1886. They would later rename themselves to Royal Arsenal in the same year. In 1893, the club was renamed to Woolwich Arsenal, before finally being named just Arsenal in 1919, six years after they moved to Highbury.

American billionaire Enos Stanley Kroenke is the owner of Arsenal, purchasing the club via Arsenal Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE).

The Emirates Stadium is the name of Arsenal's stadium. It has been the team's home ground since 2006, replacing Highbury, which served as Arsenal's home venue from 1913.

The Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,704 and is among the UK's biggest football venues.

Arsenal have won 48 trophies till date, including 13 league titles and a record 14 FA Cups.

Arsenal have 13 English top flight titles to their name, making them the third-most successful team behind Man Utd and Liverpool. They, however, won their last title over two decades ago.

London-born Irish defender David O'Leary sits at the top of the list for most Arsenal appearances in history. O'Leary spent 18 years at the club and made 722 appearances in all competitions, ahead of Tony Adams, George Armstrong, and Lee Dixon.

Thierry Henry is Arsenal's leading goalscorer of all-time with 228 goals in 377 games. No other Arsenal player has scored over 200 goals for the club, with Ian Wright sitting in second place (185 goals in 288 games).

Thierry Henry, Cesc Fabregas, Dennis Bergkamp, Mesut Ozil, Robert Pires, and Robin van Persie are among the popular footballing names to have played for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery, George Graham, and Herbert Chapman are among the biggest names to have been in charge of Arsenal throughout their notable history.

Arsenal have a pretty unique nickname, called The Gunners. This nickname is a reference to the club's origins in the late 19th century, when a group of workers from the Royal Arsenal armanent factory in Woolwich formed the club. That's also the reason why the Arsenal badge includes a cannon.