Bafana Bafana will be hoping having the Southern African derby in the Africa Cup of Nations group is a good omen, as familiar opponents has seen them go through to knockout stages in recent editions.
Hugo Broos' charges, who finished third in the previous continental tournament, have had a Southern African opposition in each of the last four AFCONs.
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Ahead of the 2025 showpiece, South Africa has been draw against neighbours Zimbabwe, Angola and also Egypt in Group B.Bafana also had familiar opponents Namibia in the 2024 group stages and hammered the Brave Lions 4-0 thanks to a brace by Themba Zwane and other goals from Percy Tau and Thapelo Maseko, a win that set the tone for the rest of the competition.
Broos' men went all the way to the semi-finals and after losing to Nigeria on penalties, won the third-fourth clash against Democratic Republic of Congo in the shootouts.
South Africa also had Namibia in the group stages of the competition in 2019 and a narrow 1-0 win over the Brave Warriors was all the points they could get, as they went through to the round of 16 as one of the best third placed teams with three points.
Bafana went on to reach the quarter-finals after they shocked the Pharaohs 1-0 in the last 16. In the 2015 AFCON group, South Africa had no Southern African team and they struggled with two West Africans nations, Ghana and Senegal and a North African opposition completing the group.
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SA could not get out of the group in the 2015 edition after finishing bottom of the section. Bafana, as hosts in the 2013 tournament, had one Southern African team in the group stages, Angola, with Cape Verde and Morocco other countries in Group A.
South Africa finished top of the section largely thanks to a 2-0 victory over the Palancas Negras, their only win in the group.
However, Bafana were eventually knocked out by Mali on penalties in the quarter-finals, before the tournament was expanded to 24 teams.
