The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) delivered another thrilling day of football across Morocco, with late goals, shock equalisers and standout individual performances shaping the tournament’s latest round of fixtures.
Egypt produced the comeback of the day, defeating Zimbabwe 2–1 after Mohamed Salah struck a dramatic stoppage‑time winner in Agadir. The Pharaohs were stunned early when Prince Dube fired Zimbabwe ahead with a sharp turn and finish in the 20th minute, scoring firmly against the run of play. Egypt dominated possession throughout, with Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet repeatedly testing goalkeeper Washington Arubi. Their pressure finally paid off when Marmoush levelled the match in the second half, setting up a tense finale. In the 91st minute, Salah pounced to secure all three points, giving Egypt a winning start to their Group B campaign.
In Casablanca, Mali and Zambia played out a tense 1–1 draw that ended in late drama. Mali led for most of the match, but Zambia refused to fade, and their persistence was rewarded deep into stoppage time when Patson Daka struck a crucial equaliser. His celebration, an attempted backflip that he failed to land cleanly added a moment of humour to an otherwise hard‑fought contest. The result leaves Group A wide open heading into the next round of fixtures.
South Africa also enjoyed a historic evening in Marrakesh, securing their first AFCON opening‑match victory in 21 years with a 2–1 win over Angola. Oswin Appollis gave Bafana Bafana an early lead with a composed finish, but Angola hit back before halftime through Show. The match remained finely balanced until the 79th minute, when Lyle Foster unleashed a superb long‑range strike to restore South Africa’s advantage. Hugo Broos’ side also had a goal disallowed and struck the crossbar, but ultimately deserved their long‑awaited opening‑day triumph.
Today’s confirmed AFCON results were Mali 1–1 Zambia, South Africa 2–1 Angola and Egypt 2–1 Zimbabwe. The outcomes place Egypt in early control of Group B, while South Africa move into a strong position to qualify from their group for the first time in years. Zambia’s late equaliser keeps Group A finely poised, with all teams still in contention.
The tournament continues tomorrow with more high‑stakes fixtures as the group stage intensifies and the race for qualification tightens across all groups.