There were some top performances and some less impressive ones, as we focus on the five players who shone in the match.
Williams made several crucial saves in the first half as he once again proved his star quality in this team, showing that when he is on song there are few better goalkeepers on the continent. His stops were vital in keeping wave after wave of Angolan attacks at bay, and there was little he could do about the goal, which crept in at his near post. If Bafana Bafana are to go deep into this competition, as they did two years ago, he will once again be crucial.
Admonished by Hugo Broos for arriving late in camp ahead of the tournament, his place in the side was never really in doubt because he is that good, though he perhaps had a little to prove in this encounter. He was excellent against a very physically strong Angolan side and, while others such as Aubrey Modiba battled with that challenge, he stood tall. His rasping shot against the crossbar from 40 yards would have been a contender for goal of the tournament had it gone in. He was the best defender on display.
Many will say this was one of his quieter games and, on the surface, that may be so, but a look beyond the obvious shows he was industrious and worked hard to get Bafana Bafana back on the front foot in the second half. It was one of those displays that goes largely unseen, but his experience and ability to get the side moving forward were crucial in the second period.
A superb winning goal and an assist for Oswin Appollis, even if it was somewhat fortuitous, meant he had a hand in both goals as he worked hard against a physical back line. He ballooned one effort over the bar just before scoring, but the quality in his winner was there for all to see. Evidence Makgopa is a workmanlike forward who will give you everything, but he does not possess the same quality that Burnley striker Foster has. The only criticism is that he was perhaps a little slow to get back onside for Tshepang Moremi’s disallowed goal.
The winger made a huge impact off the bench after coming on at halftime for the largely ineffective Mohau Nkota. That switch saw Appollis move to the right and Moremi take up the left-wing role, where his pace and energy were a constant threat to the Angolans. He took his goal superbly and was unlucky that Foster was narrowly offside in the build-up, and he also laid on the winner for Foster with a neat ball into his path. On this showing, he may well start against Egypt on Friday.