Missed chances cost them. Bafana Bafana squander three clear-cut opportunities against Cameroon and crash out of the Africa Cup of Nations

The South African national team has ended its campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. In the round of 16, Hugo Broos’ men suffered a defeat to Cameroon.

Bafana Bafana responded to goals from Tchamadou and Kofane with a precise strike from Evidence Makgopa in the 88th minute. Notably, the South Africans were by no means outplayed. Against Cameroon, the team created four clear-cut scoring chances—their highest tally in a single match at this AFCON (matching their output against Zimbabwe). However, three of those golden chances went begging, marking their worst conversion rate of the tournament.

• See also: AFCON: Nigeria vs Mozambique: prediction, H2H and probable lineups — January 5, 2026

To recap, Cameroon will face tournament hosts Morocco in the quarterfinals, after Morocco eliminated Mozambique.