South Africa will only discover the identity of their Africa Cup of Nations last-16 opponents once the final Group F matches conclude on Wednesday, with holders Ivory Coast, Cameroon or regional rivals Mozambique all possible opponents.
Bafana Bafana secured progression as runners-up in Group B following a narrow 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe in Marrakech on Monday. That result booked their place in the knockout stage and confirmed a last-16 fixture at Rabat’s Stade Madina, where they will face the second-placed team from Group F. Those group fixtures will be decided late on New Year’s Eve.
Group F remains finely balanced after two rounds of matches. Cameroon and Ivory Coast are level at the top on four points, with identical goal difference and goals scored, leaving no clear separation between the two heavyweights heading into the final round.
Mozambique sit third on three points after recording their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations finals victory, edging Gabon 3-2 on Sunday. That historic win keeps them firmly in contention for a knockout place and raises the possibility of a southern African derby with Bafana Bafana.
Gabon, meanwhile, are bottom of the group and already eliminated following defeats in their opening two matches. They will nevertheless look to end their campaign on a positive note against Ivory Coast, albeit without captain and talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has returned to his French club for treatment on a thigh injury.
The remaining Group F fixture sees Cameroon take on Mozambique in Agadir. Mozambique must win that encounter to have any realistic chance of finishing second and setting up a last-16 meeting with South Africa, ensuring that Bafana Bafana’s next opponents will only be confirmed once the group concludes.
