Zimbabwe 2-3 South Africa: Bafana Bafana through after AFCON thriller | OneFootball

Both sides could have progressed with a win

South Africa reached the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought victory over Zimbabwe in Marrakesh.

Bafana Bafana emerged 3-2 victors at the Marrakesh Stadium, in a game filled with drama.

Mario Marinica’s side were bottom of Group B at the start of the day, but did not play like it at all, and they equalised against the run of play through Tawanda Maswanhise’s superb solo strike on 19 minutes.

The right winger weaved in and out of flailing South African challenges before unleashing an arrowed effort into the far corner beyond Ronwen Williams.

Level at the interval with both goalkeepers tested on numerous occasions, it was Bafana Bafana who eked their noses ahead once more, as Lyle Foster put his head in where it hurts to nod home a bouncing ball over the top, beating the onrushing Arubi to it with five minutes played of the second period.

Zimbabwe were level once more in bizarre circumstances as Maswanhise was denied by the legs of Williams after a superb through pass from Tawanda Chirewa, and the ball cannoned off the unfortunate Aubrey Modiba into his own net.

His blushes were spared, however, when VAR spotted a diving handball from Zimbabwean captain Marvelous Nakamba late on, and Oswin Appollis stroked home from the spot to give Broos’ men all three points on a testing afternoon.

They finish second in Group B behind Egypt, and will play the winners of Group A in the first knockout round.