Nothing could separate Cape Verde and South Africa's Bafana Bafana after 120 minutes of football ended goalless to bring the match to penalties in order to decide who makes the semi-finals.
It was Ronwen Williams who proved to be the hero on the night as he saved four penalties from Cape Verde to ensure Bafana Bafana booked their place in the last four of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2000.
Here is how we rated Bafana Bafana players after the game!
Bafana Bafana player ratings
Ronwen Williams – 9/10
Continued his brilliant performance in-between the sticks for South Africa. Williams made 2 big saves in the second half to deny the Blue Sharks and was instrumental in the shootout win as he saved 4 spot kicks to send Bafana Bafana through.
Aubrey Modiba – 7/10
Modiba showed composure in the left-back position for Bafana Bafana and assisted his teammates well in defense. The Mamelodi Sundowns defender made 3 clearances and won 7/7 duels.
Mothobi Mvala – 7/10
Mvala made 6 clearances, 1 tackle, contested 3 duels and won 2. The Sundowns man was rock solid at the back as he battled to shut out the Cape Verdeans. He found the back of the net during the shootouts.
Grant Kekana – 7/10
Easily the best defender on the night for Bafana. He made 8 clearances from several onslaught from Cape Verde, put in 2 tackles and won 4 out of 5 duels.
Khuliso Mudau – 8/10
Mudau was great at the right side of the defense for Broos' side. He made 5 clearances, blocked 2 shots, had one interception, and put in 4 tackles. He also completed 91% of his passes whilst winning 5 of 8 duels.
Sphephelo Sithole – 7/10
The Cape Verdeans overran the midfield and limited Sithole to less efficiency in the game. He lost the ball on six occasions and didn't offer much for Bafana Bafana.
Teboho Mokoena – 8/10
Mokoena continued his outstanding display in the middle of the field for South Africa. In a match the Blue Sharks controlled much of the game, the Sundowns star was still able to create two key passes, made 1 clearance, and completed 82% of his passes. He also scored during the shootout.
Percy Tau – 7/10
The Al Ahly man didn't offer much threat to Cape Verde. He was actually poor in the game and was substituted for Mihlali Mayembela in the 85th minute.
Themba Zwane – 7/10
Zwane was involved in some of Bafana's attacking moves. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder delivered 2 key passes and had 1 shot on target.
Thapelo Morena – 7/10
He was not at his best for Bafana Bafana while he lasted on the field of play. But he made a crucial pass that didn't result in a goal and also lost the ball on seven occasions.
Evidence Makgopa – 7/10
Makgopa lacked services in the game as Cape Verde suffocated Bafana in the middle, but he was able to register a shot on target in the second half.
Substitutes and Manager
Thapelo Maseko – 6/10
He came on for Morena in the 63rd minute but didn't offer much for Bafana but suffered a hamstring injury later.
Mihlali Mayembela – 6/10
He could have scored for Bafana in the extra-time but it took a brilliant save from the goalkeeper to deny the Aris Limassol midfielder.
Jayden Adams – 6/10
He came on in added time for Zwane and didn’t contribute much.
Hugo Broos – 8/10
Broos didn't get his tactics right for the second time in the tournament but he seems to have found a winning team who does the job whether they play well or not. He deserves credit for how he has managed the players to perform beyond expectations and to book their place in the last four.
Next up for Bafana Bafana
South Africa have defensive solidity as they have made it four consecutive matches without conceding a goal.
It wasn't a spectacular performance from Bafana but it was the win that really matters. They will face Nigeria in the semi-finals as they look to repeat their 1996 heroics.
The match will take place next Wednesday, 7 February 2024 with kick-off set at 19:00 SAST.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago
