South Sudan head coach Nicolas Dupuis was proud of his players despite suffering a late 3-2 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) defeat against South Africa at Juba Stadium on Tuesday.

Thalente Mbatha scored another dramatic late strike for Bafana Bafana minutes after the hosts thought they had forced a 2-2 draw.

Mbatha struck in the 93rd minute from outside the box to win the game in dramatic fashion, coming just days after he scored a similar goal against Uganda in added time that ensured a share of the spoils in an AFCON qualifier played at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.

“I can say I am very proud of my players because it was against South Africa. They are very good players. It is a very, very good team, one of the best in Africa actually. So, I am very proud of the players,” said Dupuis.

The hosts were the first to find the back of the net after Tito Odong Okello converted from the penalty spot in the 15th minute. But Bafana Bafana responded almost immediately when Oswin Appollis equalised two minutes later.

Appollis increased the lead to 2-1 when he scored just before the halftime break. But the home side levelled matters when Yuel Kuach equalised in the 58th minute. Then, second half substitute Mbatha entered the fray when he scored the crucial winner during added time.