Broos In Full Of Praise For Moremi
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos admitted he was baffled by his side’s sudden loss of intensity after scoring, but he praised Tshepang Moremi for the impact he made after coming on in the second half.
South Africa began their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a winning note, edging Angola 2-1 in Marrakech on Monday. Goals from Oswin Appollis and Lyle Foster sealed the victory, with Show cancelling out Appollis’ opener for the Palancas Negras.
Bafana took the lead in the 21st minute through Appollis, but instead of building on their advantage, they dropped deep and allowed Angola to take control of the match. The Angolans dominated possession and applied sustained pressure, leaving South Africa on the back foot for long periods.
The first half was uncomfortable viewing for Broos’ men, particularly in midfield, where they struggled to impose themselves. However, a few tactical adjustments after the break helped Bafana regain control, and Burnley striker Foster eventually netted the late winner.
“I said before the game that losing the first match puts you in trouble,” Broos said after the final whistle.
“We tried to avoid that and we started the game very well. We played well, we scored the goal, and then I don’t know what the reason was, because we fell asleep.
“Angola came into the game, they were dangerous, they had better combinations and we suffered because there was no aggression anymore, no passion in the team. We played very slowly. You could feel the goal was coming from the opponent, and it did. After that, we couldn’t find our usual game.”
Broos reshuffled his side at the start of the second half, withdrawing the ineffective Mohau Nkota and introducing Moremi. The Orlando Pirates winger made an immediate impact and even found the net, although his effort was ruled offside.
Moremi was later instrumental in the winning goal, flicking the ball into Foster’s path before the former Pirates striker curled home in the 79th minute. The victory ended Bafana’s long wait for an opening AFCON group-stage win, their first in 21 years.
South Africa last won their opening match at the tournament in 2004 in Tunisia, when Siyabonga Nomvethe scored a brace in a win over Benin.
“I think at half-time, Moremi played very well,” Broos added.
“He was quick and he was a threat to the Angolan defence. That changed a lot. We were more aggressive and we put more pressure on the opponents.
“We had chances. We scored through Moremi, but it was offside. We had a shot from Mbekezeli Mbokazi that hit the crossbar and you start thinking it won’t happen today.
“But then we scored a fantastic goal through Lyle. Now we are very happy with the victory and we can move on to the game against Egypt on Friday. It would have been a very different situation if we had lost.”
Egypt also opened their Group B campaign with a win, defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 on Monday.
