Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe has congratulated Bafana Bafana following their victory over Zimbabwe, which secured South Africa’s progression to the group stages of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025. Bafana Bafana faced a tough encounter against Zimbabwe, who came close to denying South Africa qualification for the continental tournament.
The result in Group B confirmed Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the tournament’s group stages for a record eighth time.
The performance reflected disciplined execution, tactical organisation and the ability to manage high pressure continental competition. Official CAF match statistics indicated that South Africa controlled key phases of play, demonstrated defensive stability and capitalised on critical opportunities, limiting Zimbabwe’s effectiveness in the final third. Mabe said the achievement aligns directly with the constitutional and legislative mandate entrusted to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture. She cited Section 24 and Section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the National Sport and Recreation Act, noting that the State carries a responsibility to promote sport as a vehicle for nation building, social cohesion and international competitiveness.
Mabe emphasised that the result must be understood within the framework of national sport policy rather than as an isolated sporting moment. She said the White Paper on Sport and Recreation and the National Sport and Recreation Plan place clear obligations on government to support high performance excellence while strengthening development pathways from grassroots to elite level.
Mabe further noted that football remains one of the most accessible and unifying sports in the country and that international competition advances national pride and South Africa’s standing on the continent. She called on the team to remain focused, disciplined and humble as the competition progresses, adding that qualification is an important milestone but not the destination.