South Africa's Bafana Bafana squared off against Namibia on Sunday January, at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2024). After their disappointing 2-0 loss to Mali, Hugo Broos' men bounced back with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Namibia.
These are our player ratings for South Africa vs Namibia:
Top performers
Themba Zwane – 8.7
Themba Zwane was undoubtedly the star of the game. In 70 minutes of play, the Mamelodi Sundowns player registered two shots on target, scoring two goals.
Zwane also completed two of two dribble attempts, whilst winning four of six ground duels.
Thapelo Maseko – 8.0
Yes, Thapelo Maseko didn't get a lot of playing time, as the Masandawana player replaced Zwane at the 20-minute mark. However, the most important thing isn't how long he was on the field, it's what he did with that time.
Maseko found the back of the net just five minutes after coming on, he was also 2 from 2 on ground duels.
Teboho Mokoena – 7.8
Teboho Mokoena was all over the field, contributing both offensively and defensively. The 26-year-old provided an assist on Sunday, he also registered three shots whilst making a tackle and a clearance.
Evidence Makgopa – 7.5
South Africa scored four times in their victory over Namibia, and one way or another, they have Evidence Makgopa to thank for two of those goals.
First of all, Bafana Bafana's first goal came from a penalty, which was as a result of a foul against Makgopa. The Orlando Pirates player also set up South Africa's third goal of the game.
Mothobi Mvala – 7.3
Mothobi Mvala held his own against Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Peter Shalulile, as Bafana Bafana's defense managed to shut out the Namibians.
Mvala also had four clearances and two interceptions, whilst winning three of three aerial duels. He lost possession just eight times in 90 minutes of play.
Lowest ratings
Lloyd Junior Kapazua – 5.5
To be fair, Lloyd Junior Kapazua made four saves on Sunday, and two of those were shots that came from inside the box.
However, conceding four times in the same game is never a good look for a goalkeeper. While Kapazua couldn't be blamed for all of Bafana Bafana's goals, he could've saved at least one of them.
Aprocius Petrus – 5.8
As a defensive midfielder, Aprocius Petrus failed to provide cover for Namibia's defence. The KF Liria player contested five aerial duels, and didn't win any of them. He was also 2 for 7 in ground duels, was dribbled past three times, whilst committing three fouls.
Peter Shalulile – 6.0
It's important to note that Ronwen Williams started in goal for South Africa, with Khuliso Mudau, Grant Kekana, Mothobi Mvala and Aubrey Maphosa Modiba completing the defensive line.
Interestingly, these five players currently ply their trade with Mamelodi Sundowns, and so does Peter Shalulile.
However, the Namibia captain was inefficient against his teammates. Not only did he fail to score in 90 minutes of play, Shalulile didn't register a single shot.
This article was most recently revised and updated 1 year ago
