Mabasa's double steers Bafana Bafana to Cosafa Cup semi-finals

It was not the most clinical performance, but Bafana Bafana got the job done in the end courtesy of a super-substitute performance from Tshegofatso Mabasa.

FT | South Africa 2-1 Eswatini

South Africa booked their place in the 2023 Cosafa Cup semi-finals after earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Eswatini in their final Group A fixture on Tuesday.

With a 1-1 draw against Namibia and a 2-1 victory over Botswana, Bafana Bafana aimed to secure maximum points in their match against Eswatini.

Eswatini, on the other hand, entered the game on equal footing with Botswana, accumulating three points so far.

The high-stakes fixture between Bafana and Eswatini unfolded simultaneously with the clash between Namibia and Botswana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

For South Africa, a victory was imperative to avoid any complicated calculations, as only the group winners were guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals.

The runners-up would need to compare their records against those from Group B and Group C to determine their qualification for the final four.

In a match that lacked excitement for the first 51 minutes, neither team posed a significant attacking threat.

However, Eswatini managed to stun the South African home crowd at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bongwa Matsebula ignited the visiting team's celebrations as he unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar and went in, capitalizing on Keegan Allan's mishit.

The goal put Eswatini in the lead, leaving the home fans shocked.

Stand-in Bafana head coach Morena Ramoreboli pulled the trigger on a triple substitution with Mabasa replacing Victor Letsoalo, while Tebogo Tlolane and Shaun Mogaila came on for Rowan Human and Thabo Cele, respectively.

The dynamics of the game