Black Galaxies head coach Kasim Mingle believes South Africa will be among the favourites to challenge for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title following their narrow 1-0 victory over Ghana.
The Black Galaxies fell to Bafana Bafana on Tuesday in an international friendly at Dobsonville Stadium, but Mingle was encouraged by his team’s performance, especially given the limited preparation time.
“It’s a very good performance from our boys. We had only three weeks to prepare, and they put up a very good display,” he told SABC Sport. “I’m happy with how they played. Considering the short camp and facing Bafana Bafana, I’m satisfied with what I’ve seen.”
The former Bechem United and Nations FC coach emphasized that the team is still a work in progress, noting the youthful nature of the squad.
“It’s a new, young team that we are building. We should have equalised, but overall, I’m satisfied with the performance.”
Mingle also revealed that his technical team conducted a detailed analysis of Hugo Broos’ side ahead of the friendly, which helped Ghana contain South Africa for large periods.
“They are very solid and tactical. We studied their clips and were able to block many of their moves, which is why they couldn’t play freely. We expected a higher performance from them, but we managed to neutralise their tactics.”
He, however, attributed the decisive goal to a lapse in concentration from his side.
“The goal they scored came from a mistake on our part. Bafana is a very strong team.”
Looking ahead to the 2025 AFCON, Mingle backed South Africa to make a strong impression.
“I’m sure they are one of the contenders for AFCON, and I think they can do very well in the tournament.”
South Africa have been drawn in Group B for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they will face Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Angola.
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