Liverpool are braced for face-to-face showdown talks with the agent of Mohamed Salah during the Africa Cup of Nations. Salah's Liverpool future was thrown into doubt earlier this month in the wake of a spectacular outburst following the Reds' 3-3 draw at Leeds, where the Egyptian forward claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" by the defending Premier League champions.
South Africa’s AFCON 2025 adventure began with a spirited 2-1 win over Angola, powered by Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster. Egypt, meanwhile, needed Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time strike to edge Zimbabwe 2-1. Now, Group B’s giants collide in Morocco, with Bafana Bafana dreaming of a Boxing Day miracle against the Pharaohs.
The Buccaneers went for this current international break leading the PSL table and relegating Sundowns to second place. The Soweto giants enjoy two points clear at the top, having played a game less than the Brazilians. That gives them a crucial edge ahead of the resumption of league action in January.
Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has sent a message to Mohamed Salah after seeing the Liverpool ace score a late winner for Egypt in their AFCON win over Zimbabwe. The Liverpool forward took to social media after the game and posed with fellow goalscorer and Haaland's Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush, bringing a swift response from the striker.
The coach is in Morocco, where the Mzansi star has established chemistry with a huge section of the fans who support Wydad Casablanca. Despite the forward's impressive outing with the Moroccan heavyweights, he was snubbed for the AFCON finals. Many believe the 32-year-old is still a national asset, but Broos does not think that is the right position.
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.
Bafana Bafana triumphed 2–1 over Angola in a closely contested clash that could have gone either way. The Palancas Negras fought valiantly, constantly testing Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, but a decisive strike from Lyle Foster proved enough to separate the sides by the final whistle.
As the Africa Cup of Nations finals gather momentum, fans now wait for a highly anticipated clash that may end up defining the fates of teams regarded as the tournament's favourites. One such game is the South Africa showdown against Egypt. Both registered wins in their opening games and will meet for their second match in Group B, a tricky clash given the result of their opening games.
South Africa started their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign with a 2-1 win over Angola on Monday. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos still believes that his side has room for improvement.
Mohamed Salah shrugged off his recent problems at Liverpool to play a starring role for Egypt in their AFCON opener. The forward popped up in stoppage time to score the winner for Egypt in a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe. The Warriors had shocked Egypt by going ahead in the match but were pegged back when Omar Marmoush equalised. Salah then delivered the killer blow late on to secure victory for The Pharoahs.
Egypt’s second-half resilience earned them a dramatic comeback win over Zimbabwe, with a late Salah strike sealing the victory and propelling the Pharaohs to the top of Group B on Monday. This was after Zambia had fought back to deny Mali a victory in the first match of the day.
Two years after their semi-final run in Ivory Coast, South Africa reignited their pursuit of continental glory in Morocco. Hugo Broos marked his 50th game at the helm as the national team faced the Palancas Negras in their Group B opener on Monday, December 22, at Stade de Marrakech, determined to turn progress into results.
Bucs' key players dominate the Bafana squad that is in Morocco chasing the Africa Cup of Nations glory. Back home, the two Premier Soccer League giants have shown real intent of winning the league title at the halfway mark. The PSL title race is already taking shape, and when the competition resumes, no one will want to sleep and cede ground.
Bafana are in Morocco hoping to have a successful campaign after getting so close in the last edition. As they carry the country's aspirations, the fans are behind them, but the supporters have been cautioned against putting the team under too much pressure. South Africa begin their campaign against Angola, a match that Hugo Broos has stressed his players must win.
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.
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.
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.
Mohamed Salah continues to generate transfer talk on the back of a sparking a storm at Liverpool, but Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has refuted any suggestion that the superstar forward is in "crisis". Salah was benched for five consecutive Premier League fixtures prior to linking up with his country for Africa Cup of Nations duty, leading to uncertainty being cast over his future.
In recent months, Orlando Pirates have sold two of their gems, and another has been tipped to follow in their footsteps soon. Despite the fact he is one of the most promising South African stars, Mofokeng is yet to seal a big move. It started with Nkota before Mbokazi followed suit, but what is holding back President Yama 2000 has been explained.
The subject of whether the Bafana Bafana defender should have waited to play in AFCON first before choosing his next club has been quite a hot topic. Broos was the first one to publicly question the move to the Major Soccer League. According to the experienced tactician, Mbokazi should have at least waited to play in the AFCON and World Cup finals before considering a move.
South Africa are set for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations starting on Sunday with the hosts Morocco tackling Comoros. However, the 1996 winners will have to wait until Monday before playing Angola in Group B game that will be staged in Marrakesh. Hugo Broos' men have been placed in the pool alongside Egypt and Zimbabwe as well.
In 2017, the Belgian lifted the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions. Years later, he inherited a struggling South African side and reshaped it into a force that secured consecutive AFCON berths, including the 2025 edition in Morocco, while also steering Bafana Bafana onto the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Under the Belgian tactician, South Africa have reclaimed their rightful place in continental football, where they are set to not only battle for the title in the biennial competition but also be part of the nine nations that acquired an automatic ticket to represent Africa in the FIFA World Cup that will be held next year.
In Europe, much of the build-up to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has unfortunately - but inevitably - focused on which clubs will be most affected by the tournament's scheduling slap-bang in the middle of the season. As an incredibly prestigious tournament that rarely fails to deliver a barely-believable amount of drama, the AFCON deserves so much better.
Egypt
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