Late VAR penalty seals dramatic win as Bafana Bafana book their place in the Round of 16
South Africa have booked their place in the knockout stages after defeating Zimbabwe in a thrilling 3-2 victory. Oswin Appollis provided the decisive moment after VAR awarded South Africa a penalty in the 82nd minute, sealing qualification for the South Africans.
It was a tense and cagey contest for South Africa, with Zimbabwe repeatedly finding ways back into the match and growing in confidence as the game progressed.
Zimbabwe created numerous opportunities throughout the contest and will feel hard done by not to come away with at least a point, given the number of clear goal-scoring chances they carved out against the South Africans.
For a worrying stretch of the match, South Africa appeared in genuine danger of crashing out of the group stage. That fear set in after Aubrey Modiba’s own goal made it 2-2 in the 73rd minute and lingered until Appollis’ late winner from the penalty spot in the final 10 minutes.
During that period, momentum was firmly with Zimbabwe, and it felt as though they could push on for a winner a result that would have left South Africa on three points in third place and potentially eliminated.
Instead, South Africa held their nerve, converted the crucial penalty and saw out the match to claim all three points. The victory moves them to six points, one behind Egypt, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Angola.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan deployed a heavily rotated side after already securing qualification for the knockout stages, allowing Angola to pick up a vital point.
That result officially eliminated Zimbabwe, who finished bottom of the group with one point. Angola, meanwhile, sit in third place with two points, which is unlikely to be enough to secure progression as one of the four best third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stages.
While South Africa achieved the immediate objective of qualification, concerns remain as the knockout rounds approach and with the broader picture of the World Cup looming.
Zimbabwe were able to carve open the South African defense with relative ease during several phases of the match, exposing vulnerabilities that stronger opposition will undoubtedly look to exploit.
Those concerns were also evident earlier in the group stage against Egypt. South Africa spent an entire second half playing against a 10-man Egyptian side but failed to capitalise, losing 1-0.
There was little sustained pressure on the Egyptian defense, and the performance lacked urgency and creativity, particularly in breaking down a depleted opponent.
This is a South African team that finished third at the last AFCON and famously knocked out Morocco in that tournament, just a year after Morocco’s fairytale run to the World Cup semifinals.
Given that pedigree, expectations are understandably higher. If South Africa are to make a deep run in this AFCON and compete on the global stage their level must rise quickly.
Failure to do so could see them fall short in the knockout stages and struggle at the upcoming World Cup, where they are set to open the tournament against one of the host nations, Mexico, at the legendary Estadio Azteca a stage where mistakes are punished and weaknesses exposed under the brightest lights.
South Africa will face the runners-up of Group F in the Round of 16 on Sunday, January. 4 at Al Medina Stadium in Rabat.
