Angola Hit Top Gear Before Bafana Bafana Test
FULL-TIME (International Friendly):
Angola 4–1 Mozambique
Behind closed doors – Algarve, Portugal
Bafana Bafana’s opening AFCON 2025 opponents, Angola, have sent a powerful early warning after cruising to an emphatic 4–1 victory over Mozambique in a behind-closed-doors friendly in Portugal.
The Palancas Negras delivered a polished and ruthless performance in Algarve, scoring through Gelson Dala, Zito Luvumbo, David Carmo, and Rui Modesto, as they fine-tuned preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The friendly, deliberately played in private, formed part of Angola’s final tactical experiments ahead of the tournament—and the performance suggested a side growing in confidence, cohesion, and attacking sharpness at exactly the right time.
Angola will open their AFCON campaign against South Africa on Monday, setting up a crucial Group B clash that could shape the direction of both teams’ tournaments from the outset.
Speaking during camp, Angola goalkeeper Hugo Marques underlined the intensity within the squad ahead of AFCON.
“These matches are about mentality and readiness. Angola wants it more,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana have officially departed for Morocco, shifting fully into tournament mode after completing their final preparations at home. With momentum building across Group B, Angola’s commanding display will not have gone unnoticed by Hugo Broos and his technical team.
As AFCON 2025 approaches, the message is clear: South Africa will be tested from the very first whistle.