South Africa vs Angola Prediction: Bafana Bafana to get off to a strong start

South Africa take on Angola at Marrakech Stadium on Monday (17:00 GMT, 4seven) for their Group B opener at the Africa Cup of Nations. After securing their place at the Fifa World Cup finals for the first time since hosting in 2010, Bafana Bafana will be looking to build on that on the Afcon stage.

It has been three decades since they last won this competition. Read on for my South Africa vs Angola predictions, supported by the latest match odds and team news.

Team News

Oswin Appollis has been declared fully fit and available for South Africa after being forced off in their recent friendly against Ghana B. Bafana Bafana have a clean bill of health heading into this contest.

Burnley striker Lyle Foster will be looking for a fast start in the tournament as he has come under scrutiny from South Africa fans for scoring just one goal in his last 13 appearances.

Football Odds

He will come up against his former Clarets teammate Manuel Benson, now of Swansea City. Benson will be tasked with providing the creative thinking for Angola.

With 29 goals for the Black Sable Antelopes, the most of any player in the squad, Gelson Dala will be looked to for inspiration in the final third.

Zine Salvador has been ruled out after sustaining an injury for AEK Athens, taking away an important attacking option.

South Africa vs Angola Odds

South Africa have won six of the 14 head-to-head meetings with Angola. They are 6/4 (implied probability of 40%) to win this clash.

With four draws in this fixture, the stalemate may appeal at 7/4. Angola are 2/1 to defeat Bafana Bafana for a fifth time.

South Africa's Foster is the favourite to score anytime at 21/10 to get a goal he very much needs.

Today's Football Fixtures

Match Result - South Africa @ 6/4

South Africa have a point to prove in Morocco. It was 1996 the last (and only) time they were the Afcon champions and given the nation's side, more has been expected of them on this stage.

They also will look to show that they have improved as they have been beaten by Angola in three of the last four meetings, with the other being a draw. Bafana Bafana head into this tournament having secured their place at the Fifa World Cup next summer - which has lifted the nation's spirits.

South Africa have shown their quality in recent Afcon editions, as they finished third in 2023 and reached the quarter-finals in 2019. They are currently billed as one of the continent's top teams and they will want this to show in their Group B opener against Angola.

Bafana Bafana head into this off the back of three consecutive victories and this momentum might help them arrest their form against the Black Sable Antelopes.

Clean Sheet - South Africa @ 13/10

I'm going for a bit of a risk here by backing South Africa to record a clean sheet. This is because they have failed to shutout Angola in each of the previous five meetings.

However, this Bafana Bafana side has been in a habit of recording clean sheets of late. They have successfully shut their opponents out in five of their last eight appearances.

In this competitive Group B, they may need to rely on defensive strength to see them through to the knockout stage, and if they can start off with a clean sheet, it gives them an excellent platform to build from.

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