South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over Eswatini in a thrilling Cosafa Cup encounter at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Tuesday evening. The hard-fought victory earned them a well-deserved place in the semifinals, where they will face Zambia in this regional competition.
The match took time to ignite, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut scoring opportunities in the first half. South Africa displayed glimpses of their attacking prowess, but their efforts often faltered in the final third. The hosts came close to breaking the deadlock late in the half when Lyle Lakay’s free-kick narrowly missed the target.
Eswatini posed a threat on the counter-attack, with Melulen Mkhonto leading their offensive charge. Bongwa Matsebula came close to scoring the opener for Eswatini just before halftime, but his shot narrowly missed the mark.
Eswatini started the second half brightly and took the lead in the 51st minute through Matsebula’s clinical finish, capitalizing on a defensive error from Keegan Allan. South Africa immediately sought an equalizer, but Victor Letsoalo failed to convert a golden opportunity created by Allan’s header.
In the 77th minute, Tshegofatso Mabasa, who came off the bench, made an immediate impact, seizing upon a loose ball outside the box and unleashing a left-footed shot to level the score at 1-1. Mabasa continued to shine and secured the victory for South Africa in the 88th minute, calmly slotting home Iqraam Rayners’s assist.
South Africa showcased their dominance in the remaining minutes and comfortably secured their place in the semifinals.
The final scores were as follows:
South Africa: 2 (Mabasa 77′, 88′)
Eswatini: 1 (Matsebula 51′)
Bafana Bafana’s lineup included Barr, Sikhakhane, Allan, Mohamme, Lakay, Mthethwa, Human (Tlolane 68′), Cele (Mogaila 68′), Kapinga (Kobedi 90+2′), Rayners (Sebetlela 90+2′), Letsoalo (Mabasa 68′). Eswatini’s lineup comprised Sandanezwe, Msibi, Mamba, Silenge, Thwala, Ne. Dlamini (Mamba 88′), Mabelesa, Matse, P. Mkhonto (Ndzinisa 76′), Matsebula, M. Mkhonto.
South Africa’s outstanding performance in the Cosafa Cup sets the stage for an exciting semifinal clash against Zambia. With their eyes set on the ultimate prize, Bafana Bafana aims to continue their impressive run in this prestigious tournament.
