Bafana Bafana have booked their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 COSAFA Cup, which kicked off in Bloemfontein last week.
South Africa topped Group A following a tense conclusion to their final group match on Wednesday at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Rocklands. However, they faced an anxious wait for the result of the other group fixture, which was being played simultaneously at the Toyota Stadium.
Bafana went into their final group game against winless Mauritius needing a victory. In addition, they required Zimbabwe to either beat Mozambique or at least hold them to a draw. But things didn’t go exactly as planned.
In the tournament opener last week, Mozambique stunned South Africa with a 1-0 win – a result very much against the run of play. South Africa then bounced back with a 2-0 win over Zimbabwe on Saturday, moving up to second place, while Mozambique played to a goalless draw against Mauritius to stay top of the group.
On Wednesday, a solid defensive performance by Mauritius held South Africa to a goalless draw, resulting in a nail-biting end to Group A.
Over at the Toyota Stadium, Zimbabwe were on fire against the Mambas, taking a 2-1 lead deep into the match. The side from north of the Limpopo River then shifted gears upon learning they could still top the group and advance.
A third goal put Zimbabwe in the driving seat, and South Africa began to sweat. But time ran out for Zimbabwe, and Bafana Bafana scraped through to the semi-finals on goal difference – by the narrowest of margins.
After the match, coach Vela Khumalo admitted that finishing had been an issue and said it would be a focus ahead of Friday night’s semi-final at the Toyota Stadium.
“Look, I think our boys need to put on their scoring boots. Our sessions ahead of the semi-finals will focus more on finishing,” said Khumalo.
“This is exactly what we’ve been all about. But if you look at training, honestly speaking, the players are coming from a recess – their teams were closed – and then they came back here. Maybe they left their scoring shoes behind. But gradually, I think it will come back, and then we’ll manage to score goals.”
South Africa will face the winner of Group D in the semi-finals. On Wednesday, the Copper Bullets of Zambia held Botswana to a 3-3 draw, and this saw the Comoros winning the group to setup a semi-final against South Africa.
In Group C, Tanzania stunned Eswatini 2-1, this led to Madagascar claiming the group and booking their spot against Angola in the semi-finals. and Angola will face Madagascar at 15:00 on Friday in the first semi-final at the Toyota Stadium, and at 18:00 South Africa will take on Comoros.
The bronze final is scheduled for 12:00 on Sunday at the same venue, followed by the final, which kicks off at 15:00. – MORGAN PIEK
