Overview
- Egypt edged Zimbabwe 2-1 thanks to Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time strike, while South Africa beat Angola 2-1 with Lyle Foster scoring the winner and earning man of the match.
- The Group B leaders meet at Agadir’s Stade Adrar on Friday (15:00 GMT/17:00 SA time), with the winner guaranteed progression to the knockout stage.
- Recent history includes South Africa’s 2019 elimination of host Egypt, though Egypt lead their AFCON meetings two wins to one.
- Hosts Morocco face Mali later on Friday after a 2-0 opening win over Comoros, with Mali coming off a 1-1 draw with Zambia; Morocco expect Achraf Hakimi to be available and Mali welcome Yves Bissouma back, per team updates.
- Mali coach Tom Saintfiet criticized CAF’s move to a four-year AFCON cycle as influenced by UEFA, European clubs and FIFA, while South Africa coach Hugo Broos voiced support for the change.