Bafana Bafana beat eSwatini 1-0 in the Cosafa Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium yesterday, but it wasn’t enough to book them a place in the tournament’s semifinals.
Instead, South Africa were knocked out at the group stage after finishing second to Mozambique on goal difference in Group A. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, though.
Bafana hit the ground running in Gqeberha yesterday, with striker Thabang Sibanyone getting them off to the perfect start when he headed home from a corner kick in the third minute.
eSwatini didn’t drop their vlag and thought they had scored in the 29th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The visitors then had the hele SA fans paaping in the 61st minute when a cross beat SA’s defence and goalkeeper.
But with the goal at his mercy eSwatini ace Andy Junior Magagula’s downward header bounced off the turf and onto the crossbar. No goal.
SA held on for the win to finish with five points, but Group B’s Kenya bagged six points which saw them progress to the semifinals as the best second-placed team.