Bafana qualify for Afcon: Congo’s shock loss to South Sudan puts SA through

Bafana Bafana have qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals without kicking a ball in the last two rounds of matches after South Sudan pulled off a shock 3-2 victory at home against Congo on Thursday.

This makes Hugo Broos the first Bafana coach to reach a Nations Cup finals back to back.

Congo and South Sudan were locked at 2-2 in a game where the visitors held the lead twice at Juba Stadium until Elly Data’s 84th-minute strike earned the home side their first points of the campaign in their fifth match.

South Sudan’s win means Congo can only get to seven points in Group K if they beat Uganda in their last match at home on Tuesday, one point short of matching Bafana's present eight.

South Africa can now go into their last two matches — against Uganda at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Friday (3pm SA time) and on Tuesday against South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium (6pm) — already qualified.

It is the second time Bafana have back-to-back appearances at the Afcon after they last did so in 2013 and 2015.

The South Africans won a surprise bronze medal under Broos in the 2023 Afcon in Ivory Coast in January and February. That tournament was delayed from its original mid-2023 schedule over heat concerns in the West African summer to early this year. 

Uganda are on top of Group K with 10 points, and their place in next year’s tournament in Morocco was also confirmed by Congo’s shock result.

The top two teams progress to the finals.

Bafana arrived in Kampala on Thursday where the continue their preparations for what are now dead rubbers against Uganda and South Sudan.