Morena, Maswanganyi come off the bench to steer Bafana to stunning victory over Uganda

Bafana Bafana climbed to the top of Group K in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, securing a crucial 2-0 victory over Uganda at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Friday.

Head coach Hugo Broos relied on his substitutes to make the difference, with Thapelo Morena breaking the deadlock and Patrick Maswanganyi sealing the win.

The triumph pushed South Africa to 11 points, overtaking Uganda's 10.

Both teams had already secured their spots for next year's Afcon in Morocco following South Sudan's unexpected victory over Congo, confirming their progression to the tournament draw.

With a top-seeding place up for grabs, which could offer a strategic advantage at next year's tournament, both teams were determined to fight for the win. However, the first half didn't deliver the expected intensity.

The opening 45 minutes at the Mandela National Stadium were subdued, much to the disappointment of the 42 000 fans in attendance.

It took nearly 30 minutes for a significant chance to materialise. Bafana dominated in midfield for a period, using effective movement to create openings on the flanks.

Oswin Appollis played a sharp, incisive pass to Aubrey Modiba, who made an aggressive run into the box.

Modiba then whipped in a cross towards Evidence Makgopa, but Uganda's keeper, Ismail Watenga, was alert, intercepting the ball before it could reach its target, keeping the scoreline level.

Uganda struggled to break through Bafana's solid defence, while the visitors themselves failed to capitalise on their possession in the final third.

However, just four minutes into the second half, South Africa broke the deadlock through opportunistic play.

Bathusi Aubaas, showing renewed energy after the break, pressed Uganda's Bevis Mugabe,