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Bafana Bafana survive a five-goal thriller to book their AFCON Last 16 spot, sending the Warriors packing in a match defined by defensive errors and moments of brilliance.
It took a moment of madness and a stroke of cool precision to settle the Derby of the Limpopo. With eight minutes left on the clock in Marrakesh, and qualification hanging by a thread, Oswin Appollis stepped up to the spot. He didn’t just score a penalty; he buried Zimbabwe’s AFCON dreams and booked South Africa’s ticket to the knockout stages.
The 3-2 victory on Monday night was far from a tactical masterclass. It was a chaotic, pulse-pounding brawl that showcased the very best and worst of Southern African football. For South Africa, it is a relief. For Zimbabwe, it is a heartbreak familiar to any fan who has watched their team fight valiantly only to collapse at the final hurdle.
The match exploded into life early. Just seven minutes in, South Africa’s Tshepang Moremi fired a shot that took a wicked deflection off Divine Lunga, looping over the stranded 40-year-old goalkeeper Washington Arubi. It was the kind of luck that usually signals a rout, but the Warriors refused to roll over.
Zimbabwe’s response was led by Tawanda Maswanhise. The Motherwell winger, whose style of play is well-known to Kenyans following the Scottish Premiership, produced a moment of individual magic in the 19th minute. Dancing past two defenders, he drilled a low shot past Ronwen Williams to level the score. It was a goal that screamed quality, a stark reminder of the talent residing in the region.
For the Kenyan viewer, the second half was a showcase of the levels required to compete globally. Burnley striker Lyle Foster, a player whose movements are a study for any aspiring Kenyan forward, restored Bafana’s lead in the 50th minute. He capitalized on a defensive mix-up, beating Arubi to a poor back-header to nod home.
But the drama wasn't over. Zimbabwe clawed back again in the 73rd minute via a calamitous own goal from Aubrey Modiba, after another Maswanhise strike rebounded off the post and the defender. At 2-2, South Africa’s qualification was in jeopardy.
The turning point came from a player Kenyans know well from his Aston Villa days—Marvelous Nakamba. In a bizarre lapse of judgment, the midfielder committed a handling error inside the box that left the referee with no choice. Appollis converted the penalty, securing the three points and the roughly $800,000 (approx. KES 104 million) qualification bonus that comes with reaching the Last 16.
The result leaves Group B with a clear hierarchy. Egypt topped the group with seven points after a goalless draw with Angola. South Africa finished second with six points. Zimbabwe, despite their bravery, crash out at the bottom with a single point.
"We made it difficult for ourselves," South Africa coach Hugo Broos admitted post-match, a sentiment that will resonate with anyone who has watched a nervy Harambee Stars qualifier. "But in tournaments, it is the result that counts."
As Bafana Bafana prepare for the knockout rounds, the question remains: can they tighten a defense that leaked two goals against a spirited but limited Zimbabwean side? For now, the bragging rights across the Limpopo River belong firmly to the south.
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