South Africa crowned U-20 AFCON champions for the first time

In a historic triumph, South Africa claimed their first-ever U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, defeating Morocco 1-0 in the 2025 final — a repeat of the 1997 edition where they had fallen short against the same opponent.

The final was a tightly contested affair, defined by tactical discipline and defensive solidity from both sides. The breakthrough came in the 70th minute when Gomolemo Kekana unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner. The goal, confirmed after a VAR review, proved decisive.

Kekana’s wonder goal capped a remarkable tournament for South Africa, who were making their first appearance in a U-20 AFCON final since 1997. With this victory, they become the 12th nation to win the competition and only the third team from Southern Africa to lift the trophy, following Angola (2001) and Zambia (2017).

In the third-place playoff, Nigeria secured the bronze medal by defeating hosts Egypt 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

All four semifinalists — South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria, and Egypt — have qualified to represent Africa at the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 19.

Calvin Kaumba Chikenge May 19, 2025

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Calvin Kaumba Chikenge is an award-winning Zambian multimedia sports journalist well known for his exclusive stories and feature writing. He was voted 2023/24 MTN/FAZ Super League journalist of the year. In addition to reporting on sports for Spring TV, he interned for the Zambia Daily Mail newspaper. He is the current Ballon d'Or juror and has contributed to numerous international publications, including the Guardian in the UK, and is the editor of BolaNews.