The rivalry between the Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team is quite new but full of excitement and thrilling matches. It all began when the two teams met for the first time in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2010. Afghanistan National Cricket Team vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline shows the utter determination and sufferings between the two teams. While South Africa is a strong team and has a long cricketing history, Afghanistan has been a rising force in recent years, playing the game with full determination and passion. Every time both teams touch the cricket ground, it shows a different level of energy on stage. Through the Afghanistan National Cricket vs South Africa National Cricket Team Timeline, we will walk down memory lane of the Key moments of the matches and the growing spirit of the competition between these two cricketing nations.
2010 to Recent Matches: Early Encounters as well as Intense Rivalry between the Two Teams:
- 2010 ICC T20 World Cup – Both teams met for the first time in the 2010 T20I World Cup held in Bridgetown, Barbados. South Africa secured its first win over Afghanistan by 59 runs. Morne Morkel was awarded Man of the Match for his exceptional bowling. He took 4 wickets in just 3 overs, playing a big hand in the South Africa win.
- The 2016 ICC World Twenty20, the 20th Match at Mumbai, to date Afghanistan in a match in which the South African Proteas emerged victorious by 37 runs. The South African team set a big target of 210 runs for the Afghanistan team to chase. Afghanistan fought back with everything they had and put up a stiff competition, finishing on 172 runs. Chris Morris of the South African team registered the Man of the Match title for that particular game for his performance.
- 2019 ICC World Cup- The Proteas and Afghan Atalans met again in Cardiff, for their 1st ODI match in 2019. This match formed part of the 21st ICC World Cup 2019 Match, where the South African team won the match by 9 wickets through the D/L method. Quinton de Kock scored a half-century (68) in this match. On the South African team, Imran Tahir took 4 wickets in 7 overs and won the Man of the Match award for his efforts.
- 2023 ICC World Cup- In the 42nd Match of the ICC World Cup, South Africa once again clean-swept Afghanistan by 5 wickets. Afghanistan put up a target of 245 runs in 50 overs, and the Proteas chased down the target of 246 runs in 47.3 overs. Rassie van der Dussen (76 runs) had a half-century and was awarded the Man of the Match for here spectacular performance.
- In the 2024 ODI series between Afghanistan and South Africa, the Afghanistan team upset South Africa by claiming victory in 2 out of 3 matches. South Africa won the third match of the series and Afghanistan ended the series with a score of 2-1. Key players that contributed heavily to the teams success were Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored 105 runs, and Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored 86 runs.
- 2024 ICC T20 World Cup- It is the 1st Semi-Final match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. South Africa smashed Afghanistan by 9 wickets in this match. The left-arm fast bowler from the South African team, Marco Jansen, was the Player of the Match for earning 3 wickets in just 3 overs.
- In the 3rd match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Karachi, the South African team had a comprehensive win over the Afghanistan team; a total of 107 runs. This is the first time the Afghanistan team has participated in the Champions Trophy. After winning the toss, the South African team chose to bat first. Ryan Rickelton had an outstanding performance for the South African team, scoring a century, with 103 runs. Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen both scored half-centuries, with 52 runs each. The standout performer from the Afghanistan team was Rahmat Shah, who made 90 runs. Ryan Rickelton was awarded Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.
In the years to come, the competition between South Africa and Afghanistan will only get deeper and more exhilarating. South Africa has shown the depth and experience they have, while Afghanistan has gained respect from the international community with their unwavering trajectory and bold attitude. In time, this rivalry could end up being one of the most entertaining contests in international cricket as the Afghanistan team continues to develop and get better. Both are going to have a lot more intense moments in the future.
