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Southern African rivals Zimbabwe and South Africa will clash on 29 December at the Grand Stade de Marrakech in a decisive Group B match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, with both teams still fighting for a place in the AFCON 2025 Round of 16.

This high-stakes encounter marks the first-ever AFCON finals meeting between Zimbabwe and South Africa, adding extra intensity to a match that could define Group B.

Zimbabwe vs South Africa Head-to-Head

This will be the 20th overall meeting between the two nations. South Africa hold a slight advantage with eight wins, while Zimbabwe have claimed six victories, with five draws between them.

Across their previous encounters, South Africa have scored 21 goals, compared to Zimbabwe’s 16. The Bafana Bafana are unbeaten in their last four matches against the Warriors (W2, D2), a trend they’ll aim to extend at AFCON 2025.

AFCON History and Regional Context

For South Africa, this is their fourth AFCON match against a neighboring nation, having previously defeated Namibia in 1998, 2019, and 2023.

For Zimbabwe, this represents their first AFCON finals match against a neighboring country, though it is their third meeting with a Southern African opponent at the tournament.

The rivalry dates back to a 1994 AFCON qualifier, where Zimbabwe defeated South Africa 4–1 in Harare — still one of their most memorable results.

World Cup Qualifying Meetings

The teams have met six times in FIFA World Cup qualifying, with South Africa winning four matches and two ending in draws.

Most recently, South Africa won 3–1 in 2026 World Cup qualifying, before a 0–0 draw in Durban. South Africa eventually qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Zimbabwe finished bottom of their group.

Zimbabwe – Key AFCON 2025 Stats

Zimbabwe earned their first points of AFCON 2025 with a 1–1 draw against Angola. They remain winless after two matches, a pattern consistent with their AFCON history.

All of Zimbabwe’s AFCON victories have come on matchday three, giving fans hope ahead of this decisive clash. Notably, the Warriors have never kept a clean sheet in 17 AFCON matches, the longest such streak in tournament history.

Zimbabwe have scored in both AFCON 2025 matches so far and are currently on their longest scoring run at the finals.

A win against South Africa would see Zimbabwe qualify for the AFCON knockout stage for the first time ever.

Veteran forward Knowledge Musona remains central to that ambition. The 35-year-old is now joint-second among Zimbabwe’s all-time AFCON scorers, and a goal here would make him the top scorer in this fixture.

South Africa – Key AFCON 2025 Stats

South Africa opened their AFCON 2025 campaign with a win over Angola, before suffering a narrow 1–0 defeat to Egypt. They have won just one of their last five AFCON matches in open play.

The Bafana Bafana have traditionally performed well against COSAFA nations, but they are winless in their last seven final group matches at AFCON.

A win or draw in Marrakech will be enough for South Africa to qualify for the Round of 16.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams became South Africa’s most-capped AFCON goalkeeper, while midfielder Teboho Mokoena impressed with 90% passing accuracy in the loss to Egypt.

What’s at Stake

• South Africa qualify with a win or draw
• Zimbabwe must win to advance
• AFCON 2025 Group B will be decided on the final matchday

The Zimbabwe vs South Africa AFCON 2025 showdown promises high intensity, knockout drama, regional rivalry, and historic significance — a must-watch clash in Marrakech.