South Africa are through to the Round 16 stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after beating Zimbabwe 3-2 on Monday to finish second in Group B.
The Bafana Bafana went into today’s meeting knowing that a win was crucial to secure their place in the knockout stage.
With coach Hugo Broos fielding a strong starting eleven, the instructions were clear: battle throughout 90 minutes to amass all three points.
The players, determined to get the job done, started the contest on a bright note and took the lead after just seven minutes when a shot by Tshepang Moremi after he was set up by Lyle Foster was deflected into the Zimbabwe net.
Down but not out, Zimbabwe shortly found their rhythm and started to threaten. In the 19th minute, Tawanda Maswanhise showed impressive skills on the edge of the South Africa box, beating three players before scoring with a low drive from inside the box to make it 1-1.
With the score level at the break, both national teams had it all to play for in the second half. Five minutes into the second half, Lyle Foster capitalised on a defensive error and equalised to restore the lead for Bafana Bafana.
Later in the 74th minute, Zimbabwe, for the second time in the game, came from behind to make it 2-2. This time, it was an own goal from Aubrey Modiba that drew the game level.
When it looked like the game could end in a stalemate, South Africa won it in the final 10 minutes when they were awarded a penalty kick. Oswin Appollis stepped up and expertly converted from 12 yards to earn a 3-2 victory for his country.
Following the victory, the Bafana Bafana have sealed their place in the Round 16 stage of AFCON 2025, alongside Group B winners Egypt.
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