South Africa, DR Congo Battle for AFCON Third -pace
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations third-place playoff between South Africa and Congo DR at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium today.
Both nations take each other on after disappointing semi-final defeats, with Bafana Bafana losing on penalties after a commendable showing against Nigeria, while the Leopards were beaten by tournament hosts Ivory Coast.
It remains to be seen what South Africa have left in the tank when they feature in the third-place game after the mental and physical exertion of playing extra time in the quarter and semi-finals.
Hugo Broos’s men could still be reeling after Wednesday’s loss to Nigeria, having surprised the Super Eagles with their switch to a back three and superior coherence for the opening half.
However, Bafana Bafana could not edge ahead despite finding joy between the lines and exploiting the West African nation’s passive structure without the ball, in which the three-time champions kept a high defensive line but did not pressure the opponent in possession.
The South Africans fell behind after the interlude but levelled in the 90th minute through Teboho Mokoena’s late penalty and could have won it with the game’s last kick, with Khuliso Mudau shooting over from inside the six-yard box after Stanley Nwabali parried Mokoena’s free kick.
The game went into extra time, and despite Broos’s men playing for penalties — convinced by the heroics of Ronwen Williams against Cape Verde — the shot-stopper saved none of Nigeria’s kicks in the defeat despite stopping four against the Blue Sharks.
That loss ended the 1996 champions’ ambition to make their first AFCON final since 1998 and play for a second African title, and they now seek a response to finish third.