(CNN) -- South Africa got its Africa Cup of Nations campaign back on track with its first victory in the competition since 2004.
The host nation defeated Angola 2-0 in Durban to leave it within touching distance of the quarterfinals following the disappointment of the opening day draw with minnow Cape Verde.
On this occasion, Bafana Bafana was far more impressive and goals from defender Siyabonga Sangweni and substitute striker Lehlohonolo Majoro secured the points.
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South Africa face Morocco on Sunday with only a draw needed to take it through to the next stage.
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Earlier this year Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after beating the Ivory Coast 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout in Sunday's final in Libreville.
"I gambled today because it was a must-win situation," coach Gordon Igesund told reporters following the win against Angola.
"We had four defenders, one holding midfielder and the other five players were committed to attacking.
"The players believed in themselves -- the nerves that affected us so much against Cape Verde were gone. It was not easy out there on the pitch with the weather so hot."
Morocco will need to defeat South Africa to guarantee its place in the last-eight after it came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde.
Substitute Youssef El Arabi scored a 78th minute equalizer to deny the Blue Sharks its bid to become the smallest ever nation to win a game at the tournament.
Appearing in its first Africa Cup of Nations since gaining independence from Portugal in 1975, many expected Cape Verde to struggle on the international stage.
But having defeated Cameroon in qualifying and held South Africa to a 0-0 draw in its opening game, Cape Verde's players showed little fear.
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And with 35 minutes on the clock, Ryan Mendes' pass released Platini and the striker produced a wonderfully deft finish to place the ball into the net.
That goal looked to have secured a famous victory for Cape Verde but Morocco refused to lie down and with just 12 minutes left, El Arabi popped up to fire home a leveler.
"We made another draw, but we are still alive. I am very happy with this result -- a great one for our country. My players worked very well and proved they have qualities," Cape Verde coach Luis Antunes told reporters.
The result leaves both teams in with a chance of qualifying having taken two points from the opening two games.
Meanwhile, there was bad news for Tunisia after its star striker Issam Jemaa was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a knee problem.
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It was a poignant win for Zambia, who lost 18 members of their squad in a plane crash in Gabon in 1993.
French coach Herve Renard is still in charge of the defending champions, who travel to Kampala to play Uganda on Saturday, holding a 1-0 first-leg lead. This is Renards' second spell as Zambia coach, with the 44-year-old having also been with the team between 2008 and 2010.
Ivory Coast fans in the city of Abidjan were inconsolable after the defeat in February. The 1992 champions have failed to deliver success despite having star players such as Didier Drogba and brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure.
Now playing for Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, Drogba could have put the Ivory Coast ahead midway through the final's second half, but fired his penalty high over the crossbar. The striker also missed a spot-kick in the Elephants' 2006 shootout defeat to Egypt. This is likely to be Drogba's last Cup of Nations and, as such, this represents the final chance for the Ivorian golden generation to at last win something.
Ivory Coast's fans were in a better mood after the 4-2 win over Senegal at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny stadium in Abidjan in the first leg of the play-off in September for next year's tournament.
Ivory Coast are now coached by former France international Sabri Lamouchi. It is Lamouchi's first coaching role following a playing career that saw the 40-year-old play for Auxerre, Monaco, Parma, Inter Milan and Marseille.
Newcastle's Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote (right) will be up against his club teammate Papiss Cisse (left) of Senegal on Saturday in the second-leg playoff.
In September, Cape Verde produced a huge upset with their 2-0 home win over Cameroon. Anzhi Makhachkala striker Samuel Eto'o had refused a call-up for the match over his unhappiness with the Cameroon Football Association's imposition of an eight-match ban for his role in a players' strike in 2011. However he has made himself available for the second leg.
The final of the Africa Nations Cup will be played in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium, which hosted the 2010 World Cup final, on February 10 2013.
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