Bafana Bafana players congratulate Williams after saving four penalties
By Kopano Dibakwane
Bafana Bafana have secured a place in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals after beating Cape Verde 2-1 in a nail-biting penalty shootout on Saturday 3 February. South Africa has not qualified for the AFCON semi-finals since the year 2000.
The hero of the day was South African goalkeeper, Ronwen Williams, who easily saved four penalties and won Man of the Match prize.
The teams played a full 90 minutes and 30 minutes of extra time without scoring a goal. Cape Verde were clearly too strong for Bafana Bafana and missed a lot of scoring chances.
In a post-match interview, Williams gave credit to Bafana coach, Hugo Broos, the entire technical team and his teammates for approaching the game as a collective. He furthermore commended the brotherhood that was displayed on the field.
ā I give credit to the analysts and goalkeeper coaches, who prepared me by studying so many videos. I’m so proud that I could keep my team in the game. I’m also glad that I showed my worth, when I was called upon,ā said Williams.
Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos, said that being in the semi-finals is a big moment for South African football, and added that the level of football in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) has to be higher.
ā There were a lot of people in South Africa who didn’t believe in the team, but we believed in it. The players believed that it could happen and it happened. The players are in the picture now, so that means there’ll be more interest in South African football,ā said Broos.
The steady ascension of Bafana Bafana in the African Cup of Nations continues to embarrass critics who falsely predicted an early exit for the team.
Bafana Bafana will meet Nigeria on Wednesday 7 February.
