South Africa won a five-goal thriller, defeating Zimbabwe 3-2 in their CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage match on December 30, 2025. Bafana Bafana emerged victorious from a classic Southern African derby that swung back and forth until the final whistle. Zimbabwe took a surprise early lead, but South Africa responded with two quick goals before halftime to turn the game around. Zimbabwe equalized early in the second half to set up a tense finale, before South Africa scored the winner with a spectacular long-range effort with fifteen minutes remaining. The victory gave South Africa a perfect start to the tournament, while Zimbabwe were left to reflect on a brave performance that yielded no points. The South African manager praised his team's character, while his Zimbabwean counterpart highlighted small margins and individual errors that cost his team a result.