{"id":6286,"date":"2025-12-23T03:48:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T03:48:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=6286"},"modified":"2025-12-23T03:48:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T03:48:47","slug":"foster-scores-late-goal-as-south-africa-defeat-angola-in-their-afcon-opener-africa-cup-of-nations-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=6286","title":{"rendered":"Foster scores late goal as South Africa defeat Angola in their AFCON opener | Africa Cup of Nations News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Lyle Foster\u2019s match-winning 79th-minute strike allowed South Africa to win first opening match at AFCON since 2004.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 22 Dec 2025<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">22 Dec 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Lyle Foster scored a superb winner from outside the box as South Africa defeated Angola 2-1 in Africa Cup of Nations Group B in Marrakesh on Monday, the first time they have won their opening match \u2060at the continental finals in 21 years.<\/p>\n<p>South Africa also had a goal disallowed and struck the crossbar, \u200bjust about deserving the nervy victory. Angola also had chances and will \u200dbe disappointed not to have gotten something from the game.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>South Africa took the lead on 21 minutes when Oswin Appollis showed neat footwork in the box to work a shooting chance and put the ball in the bottom \u200dcorner. But Angola \u2060equalised before the break as Show got a touch to Fredy\u2019s free kick to steer the ball into the net.<\/p>\n<p>The winning moment came after 79 minutes, when Foster was teed up 20 yards out and curled his shot into the top corner to give the bronze medallists from two years ago a positive start to their campaign.<\/p>\n<p>It was a workmanlike performance from South Africa, who do not have the plethora of players in top \u200bEuropean leagues that their tournament rivals enjoy, with Foster their only one \u200cat Premier League Burnley.<\/p>\n<p>But they are a well-oiled machine under Belgian coach Hugo Broos and did enough for a victory that set them well on course for the knockout rounds. Egypt and Zimbabwe will meet later on Monday in \u200cthe same pool.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4190688\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4190688\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4190688\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25356629105446-1766436561.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Oswin Appollis in action.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4190688\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">South Africa\u2019s Oswin Appollis, centre, scores the opening goal of the match in the 21st minute [Themba Hadebe\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"even-first-half\">Even first half<\/h2>\n<p>South Africa took the lead after a period of sustained possession that led to Khuliso Mudau\u2019s cross, which was \u200ctouched by both Sipho Mbule and Foster before Appollis beat two \u2060defenders and side-footed into the bottom corner of the net.<\/p>\n<p>Angola equalised on 35 minutes when Fredy\u2019s low free kick was touched into the bottom corner by Show, his second goal in his 50th cap for his country, to make it \u200c1-1 at the break.<\/p>\n<p>South Africa thought they had retaken the lead when halftime substitute Tshepang Moremi turned his defender and fired low into the bottom corner of the net, but a VAR review showed \u200dthat Foster was offside in the buildup.<\/p>\n<p>South Africa\u2019s Mbekezeli Mbokazi crashed the ball against the crossbar with a rasping shot from 35 yards, before Foster\u2019s clinical strike secured all three points.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"zambia-rally-to-draw-with-mali\">Zambia rally to draw with Mali<\/h2>\n<p>In an earlier Group A match on Monday, Zambia\u2019s Patson Daka scored with a spectacular diving header in stoppage time to see his \u200dside come from behind \u200dand force a 1-1 draw with Mali in Casablanca.<\/p>\n<p>Mali looked in control for most of the encounter, but paid the price for sitting back in the closing stages as Zambia staged a \u2060late recovery, with Daka leaping through the air to force home Mathews Banda\u2019s curling cross two minutes into \u200bstoppage time at the end of the game.<\/p>\n<p>Lassine Sinayoko had \u200ctaken advantage of sloppy defending to give \u200cMali a 62nd-minute lead \u2060after his strike partner, El Bilal Toure, had a first-half penalty saved.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4190694\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4190694\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4190694\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AFP__20251222__88UU78Q__v2__HighRes__TopshotFblAfr2025AfconMliZmbMatch02-1766436953.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Patson Daka reacts.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4190694\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zambia\u2019s forward Patson Daka celebrates scoring his team\u2019s equalising goal in the 90th minute against Mali at Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco on December 22, 2025 [Abdel Majid Bziouat\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lyle Foster\u2019s match-winning 79th-minute strike allowed South Africa to win first opening match at AFCON since 2004. Published On 22 Dec 202522 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Lyle Foster scored a superb winner from outside the box as South Africa defeated Angola 2-1 in Africa Cup of Nations Group [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6287,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}