South Africa beat Zambia in first friendly after sealing World Cup spot | OneFootball

The South African team continues in great form. On the morning of this Saturday, the South Africans defeated Zambia 3-1 in a friendly match in preparation for the World Cup and the African Cup of Nations. The game was held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

South Africa took a three-goal lead comfortably. Oswin Appolis opened the scoring in the first half, while Mohau Nkota and Sphephelo Sithole extended the lead in the second half. In injury time, at 47 minutes, Joseph Sabobo scored Zambia's consolation goal.

Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP

World Cup Spot

This was South Africa's first friendly match after the team secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The team hadn't participated in the World Cup since 2010, when it was the host country of the tournament.

Now the South Africans are focusing on the African Cup of Nations. On December 22, the country will debut in the competition against Angola. South Africa is in Group B, along with Angola, Zimbabwe, and Egypt. The competition will be held in Morocco.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.