South Africa Edge Ghana B 1-0 in Final Pre-AFCON Friendly Match

Bafana Bafana Secure Victory in AFCON Warm-Up

South Africa continued their preparations for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations with narrow 1-0 friendly victory over Ghana on Tuesday evening. The Black Galaxies face South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in an international friendly on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto. This match served as a crucial final test for South Africa before their departure to Morocco for the continental tournament.

Match Details and Key Moment

Bafana Bafana gifted a healthy crowd at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Ghana’s CHAN team in what was a farewell training match ahead of their trip to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The first half proved cagey with limited clear-cut opportunities for either side. However, the second period brought renewed intensity from the hosts.

The breakthrough arrived in the 56th minute when Mbule unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the area to give South Africa a deserved lead. Sipho Mbule’s stunning goal proved decisive, rewarding South Africa’s increased pressure and attacking intent after the interval.

Squad Rotation and Team Preparation

Ricardo Goss started in goal, while Thabang Matuludi, Bathusi Aubaas and Tshepang Moremi were handed rare opportunities from the first whistle against Ghana’s CHAN side. Coach Hugo Broos used the fixture to assess squad depth and experiment with different combinations ahead of the tournament.

Ghana meanwhile were represented by non-first-choice team with the Black Stars failing to qualify for the upcoming AFCON finals. Ghana will be coached by Kassim Mingle rather than usual head coach Otto Addo for this fixture and have named a squad of entirely uncapped players.

Looking Ahead to AFCON 2025

South Africa, on the other hand, will use the fixture to fine-tune their team as they build toward the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. South Africa are in Group B, alongside Zimbabwe, Angola, and continental heavyweights Egypt. The victory provides positive momentum as Bafana Bafana prepare to face challenging opposition in their group.

This narrow win demonstrates South Africa’s readiness and growing confidence ahead of the continental showpiece. While Ghana used the match to prepare their domestic-based players for future CHAN qualifiers, South Africa leaves for Morocco with a victorious aura and valuable match fitness secured.