South Africa and Angola open the AFCON on Monday, a game that will have a significant impact on Group B standings. Whoever wins here will gain a massive edge and practically open the door to the knockout stage, so the stakes are high, and we expect to see a fierce and brutal battle between these two units.

Both sides are physical, like to engage in intense and sometimes cruel midfield contests, without any beauty in the game, let alone goals. The AFCON odds for this one are almost even, and even the bookmakers don’t see a favorite in this event.

South Africa VS Angola Preview

South Africa

Bafana Bafana arrives in Morocco hoping for another miracle like at the previous AFCON championship. For those who forgot, South Africa finished third, going against all the odds, largely thanks to a mixture of strict discipline and an excellent tactical approach. Hugo Broos will lead Bafana for the 50th time at AFCON, and under his leadership, the team has developed a clear identity built around structure, work rate, and tactical awareness.

South Africa tends to be at their best when games are tight. They are comfortable without dominating possession and usually allow the rivals to take the ball. At the same time, they pressure and hope for a mistake that would open a chance for a transition. This team is fast, with midfielders who are very mobile on both sides and have incredible stamina.

Scoring can sometimes be an issue for Broos’ crew. South Africa doesn’t always create chances in volume, but they aren’t panicking about it, which was one of the reasons they reached the semis two years ago.

Angola

Angola’s recent results haven’t been impressive, though this team is very unpredictable, and that’s something that makes them dangerous. The rivals never know what to expect, and this can be a huge plus. Beating Zambia 3-2 and Mozambique 4-1 in the previous two friendlies definitely improved the morale, yet when looking at previous results, many questions emerge.

Angola’s game is built around physical strength, quick transitions, and direct attacking play. Something like South Africa’s only, we can say Angola has a bit stronger players, not faster, but more dominant in the duel.

However, consistency remains a question. We’ve seen that in the World Cup qualifiers once they played 2-2 vs. Eswatini on the road, and then stayed unbeaten in Cameroon, 0-0. In the previous 10 games, this team has 4 wins, 3 defeats, and the same number of ties.

South Africa VS Angola Head to Head

In July this year, the two sides met in a friendly international which ended 1-1. However, 6 weeks earlier, they clashed at COSAFA Cup, when Angola rolled over Bafana Bafana, trashing them 3-0.

Believe it or not, Angola hasn’t lost to this rival since 2015, or in the last 7 straight encounters.

South Africa VS Angola Predictions

This promises to be a tense, cautious, and very conservative game. And how it wouldn’t be when it’s the opener, and has incredible importance, which could practically decide the whole tournament.

South Africa’s experience and defensive discipline give it a slight advantage, but Angola’s recent results against this rival cannot be ignored.

For us, this will be a low-scoring affair, maybe even a goalless game. So the final pick is under 2.5 goals. But, we also recommend betting on a red card. Why? The tension, the stakes, and the fact that AFCON games usually involve more than the required physicality are a perfect combination of factors that might lead to a red card.

Pick: Under 2.5 goals

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