November 19, (THEWILL) – South Africa concluded their Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign with a 3-0 victory over South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The decisive match saw Bafana Bafana seal their place in the upcoming tournament, exhibiting their footballing capabilities with a commanding performance.
The national team took control early, opening the scoring in the seventh minute through Iqraam Rayners.
Oswin Appollis created the opportunity with exceptional work down the left flank, providing a precise cross that allowed Rayners a straightforward close-range finish.
This early goal set the tone for South Africa’s dominant display against their opponents.
Patrick Maswanganyi extended the lead midway through the first half, capitalising on a goalkeeping error by Majak Mawith.
Teboho Mokoena’s long-range effort caused confusion in the area, enabling Maswanganyi to round the goalkeeper and score the second goal.
The team’s clinical approach continued into the second half, with Mokoena converting a penalty in the 50th minute after Khuliso Mudau was fouled inside the penalty area.
The match provided a memorable moment for 33-year-old goalkeeper Sage Stephens, who made his senior national team debut when replacing captain Ronwen Williams with 15 minutes remaining.
South Africa topped Group K, finishing ahead of Uganda, which claimed a 1-0 away victory against Congo.
The victory sets positive expectations for their performance in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
