Ronwen Williams of South Africa saves the fifth penalty of the shootout during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match against Cape Verde at Charles Konan Stadium in Yamoussoukro, Cote dIvoire on 3 February 2024. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky, BackpagePix
Bafana Bafana’s Ronwen Williams stopped four of Cape Verde's five spot kicks to help Bafana Bafana advance to the semi-final.
South Africa and Cape Verde played an exciting Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final match in the Ivory Coast. South Africa won 2-1 on penalties.
A picture speaks a thousand words! We are semi finalists! Thank you Mzansi 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦![CDATA[]]>🙏![CDATA[]]>🏽 #TotalEnergiesAFCON #AfCON2023 #BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/0DLBndSAxe
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) February 3, 2024
An eventful first half saw both sides asking questions of each other with Bafana the first to ask questions of the opposition goalkeeper on nine minutes. But the Cape Verde’s Jose Dias did well to save a Teboho Mokoena shot.
Shortly thereafter the South Africans stole the ball in the middle of the pitch and made a good attack that saw Themba Zwane free to take a shot from close range but the talisman scuffed it wide.
There was a similar chance on the other side but Kevin Goncalves emulated Zwane by sending the ball wide of Ronwen Williams’ goals.
Somewhat against the run of play, Bafana managed to fashion an impressive build-up via some intricate passing which led to them earning a free-kick on the edge of the box after Mokoena was hacked down.
He stood up to take the kick but succeeded only in smashing it against the Cape Verde defensive wall before disturbing the bats’ flying pattern with a rugby-style follow up shot.
Then, following a cooling break on the half-hour mark, the pendulum fully swung the Blue Sharks’ way as they dominated the game. They enjoyed a good attacking spell during which they created numerous half chances as Hugo Broos’ men strangely fought a rearguard battle courtesy of their playing with a low defensive block.
Ronwen Williams has become the first goalkeeper to ever save 4 penalties in a single TotalEnergies AFCON shootout. 🤯![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023
— Total Energies AFCON (@TotalAFCON2023) February 4, 2024
pic.twitter.com/Ojkg7eBFoR
They put together excellent interplay on 36 minutes but Grant Kekana snuffed their attempt. Two minutes later the Mamelodi Sundowns defender and his club teammate Mothobi Mvala looked to be at sixes and sevens as they both half-cleared the ball and were lucky Cape Verde did not punish them.
The Blue Sharks continued to pile on the pressure from the left flank and on 40 minutes they fashioned a threatening counter attack on the left flank but the South Africans managed to clear the danger.
🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 Ronwen Williams 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
— Total Energies AFCON (@TotalAFCON2023) February 3, 2024
Heroic saves make him the TotalEnergies Man of the Match! 🧤#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 | #CPVRSA | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/2yr7n7VvT1
There was a scare just before the half time break that Percy Tau would be sent off for an off the ball incident that saw him pushing B down in retaliation, but the referee gave both players a stern talking to instead of flashing any card.
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