AFCON SCAN Group B: Clash of two titans and fierce fight for third place

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is fast approaching, and as is the norm, Mozzart Sport Kenya will bring you a preview of all the groups and introduce all the participating nations, focusing on their records, crucial assets, key players, and odds of achieving a notable result.

After introducing Group A, it's high time to check out Group B and the teams that will battle it out. Given the strength of Egypt and South Africa, the first two spots are almost reserved for them, while the remaining group members, Angola and Zimbabwe, will likely engage in an exciting fight for the third spot and an eventual advancement to the knockout phase.

AFCON SCAN Group A: Hosts and top contenders face eternal losers, ex-champs, and minnows

Still, potential upsets and surprises must never be ruled out.

EGYPT

Area: 1,010,408 km2

Population: 109,450,000

Nickname: The Pharaohs

AFCON appearance: 27th

Best result: Champions (1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)

FIFA ranking: 34

Head coach: Hossam Hassan (Egypt)

Captain: Mohamed Salah

If seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions and a team led by Mohamed Salah isn't among the biggest favourites to win the tournament, then no team is. Apart from clinching the trophy seven times, the Pharaohs lost three finals and reached six times.

And when a team has such a legacy, even a bunch of mediocre results in the past 15 years - two finals, two round-of-16 eliminations, and three failures to qualify - cannot spoil their aura at the continental tournament.

Apart from Liverpool's superstar, the hopes of the Egyptians will mainly rest on the ex-Aston Villa forward Trezeguet and the former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny. In general, the Pharaohs' squad doesn't strike fear into the rivals' bones, but with Salah and their strong bond with AFCON, no one can underestimate them.

Egypt's qualifying campaign was a walk in the park, as they easily dominated the group alongside Botswana, Mauritania, and Cape Verde, collecting 14 points with a 12-2 goal difference.

The Pharaohs' boss, Hossam Hassan, was a part of three AFCON-winning generations (1986, 1998, 2006), so he knows exactly what it takes to win the continental crown.

SOUTH AFRICA

Area: 1,221,037 km2

Population: 63,015,904

Nickname: Bafana Bafana

AFCON appearance: 12th

Best result: Champions (1996)

FIFA ranking: 61

Head coach: Hugo Broos (Belgium)

Captain: Ronwen Williams

At first glance, it seems odd that South Africa, as one of the most powerful football forces in Africa, have only one AFCON title. However, the fact that they participated in the qualifiers for the first time in 1994 sheds new light on the matter.

Only two years later, in their maiden appearance, Bafana Bafana clinched the trophy - their first and only so far. Generally, the final years of the 20th century were their most fruitful, as they won the first, second, and third places in three consecutive tournaments.

The following two decades were nowhere near as successful, though the previous AFCON hinted at South Africa's rise, given that they won the "bronze medal."

And the resurgence continued in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in which Bafana Bafana topped the group ahead of Nigeria - which had eliminated them from the last AFCON's semi-finals on penalties - showing their strength.

Interestingly, the majority of players the Belgian strategist Hugo Broos has recently used come from their domestic league, mainly from the three giants: Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Kaizer Chiefs, which is not the case for many national teams worldwide.

Mamelodi's Iqraam Rayners, who shone at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the team's only English Premier League player, Burnley's striker Lyle Foster, and arguably one of the best custodians on the continent and the captain, Ronwen Williams, will be the key assets of the crew, which cruised past Uganda, Congo, and South Sudan in the qualifiers.

ANGOLA

Area: 1,246,700 km2

Population: 36,604,681

Nickname: Black Sable Antelopes

AFCON appearance: 10th

Best result: Quarter-finals (2008, 2010, 2023)

FIFA ranking: 89

Head coach: Patrice Beaumelle (France)

Captain: Fredy

Even though they occasionally managed to put a dent in some favourites' aspirations and trip them up, both in the World Cup and AFCON qualifiers, as well as in the very continental tournament, Angola have never been a football force, as they were much more prominent in sports like basketball and handball.

Still, their only FIFA WC participation in 2006 remains etched in people's memories and immortalized in the sports almanacs of this South African country.

Yet, unlike this immense success and two points won at the WC in Germany (draws against Mexico and Iran), the Black Sable Antelopes weren't as fortunate at AFCONs. Moreover, even then, 19 years ago, when their football team was living its dream at its peak, Angola finished the Africa Cup of Nations already in the group stage.

The Angolans celebrate their first and only World Cup goal, scored by Flavio against Iran on June 21, 2006 (©AFP)

Combining that with their struggles as Portugal's colony, qualifiers' failures, and the fact that they debuted in the tournament only in 1996, it's no wonder that three quarter-finals are their top results.

In 2008, Egypt stopped them, two years later, Ghana prevailed, and two years ago, they fell short against Nigeria. In the next AFCON, they'll definitely aim to take a further step forward, but in a group with Egypt and South Africa, it'll be one hell of a job.

Central figures on Patrice Beaumelle's roster come from the Serie A - Kialonda Gaspar (Lecce), Zito Luvumbo (Cagliari), and M'Bala Nzola (Pisa) - while the Qatari Al-Wakrah's Gelson Dala is the top scorer in the current squad.

In the qualifiers, they topped the group ahead of Sudan, Niger, and - shockingly - Ghana, netting only seven goals in six matches through only four different scorers - Mabululu, Felicio Milson, Zini, and Randy Nteka.

If they want to advance from the group, the Black Sable Antelopes will have to beat Zimbabwe, as every point against the Pharaohs and Bafana Bafana will be a bonus.

ZIMBABWE

Area: 390,757 km2

Population: 16,868,409

Nickname: The Warriors

AFCON appearance: 6th

Best result: Group stage (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021)

FIFA ranking: 129

Head coach: Mario Marinica (Romania)

Captain: Marshall Munetsi

The absolute underdogs in the group and the team against whom probably each rival expects three points. But is this team indeed without chances?

Considering their recent form - yes. They finished the latest World Cup qualifiers at the bottom of the group, alongside South Africa (again), Nigeria, Benin, Lesotho, and Rwanda, collecting only five points without a single victory.

However, they seized their chance and a rise in form to "snatch" second place in the qualifying group with Cameroon, Kenya, and Namibia, booking a ticket to Morocco and their sixth AFCON.

In their past five appearances, the Warriors recorded only three wins in total, but given that they participated in three consecutive continental tournaments (2017, 2019, 2021) - they were suspended by FIFA two years ago - Zimbabwe are slowly but surely becoming AFCON regulars.

Analyzing their squad, their chances of making an upset and advancing from the group stage for the first time in history are slightly better, but still insufficient.

Tawanda Chirewa and Marshall Munetsi with Wolverhampton (©Gallo Images)

The Wolverhampton Wanderers duo of Tawanda Chirewa and the captain Marshall Munetsi will be the heart and soul of Mario Marinica's crew, though Zimbabwe have players in many respectable world leagues - from the African ones (South Africa and Libya) to the Belgian, Scottish, US, Danish, German second tier...

Either way, they may be able to stun Angola, but are barely without a shot against giants like Egypt and South Africa.

MOZZART SPORT KENYA'S PREDICTION: South Africa and Egypt advance as the top two teams, while Angola and Zimbabwe end their participation in the group stage.