- By Manik Sharma
- Sun, 04 Feb 2024 08:18 AM (IST)
- Source:REUTERS
Africa Cup Of Nations: In a nail-biting quarter-final clash against Cape Verde Islands, South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams emerged as the hero, saving four penalties in the post-match shootout. The intense encounter ended in a goalless draw, pushing the game into extra time and eventually a dramatic penalty shootout.
Mothobi Mvala's decisive kick secured a 2-1 victory for South Africa on penalties, propelling them into the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals for the first time since 2000. The quarter-final, held at Charles Konan Banny Stadium, saw South Africa emerge victorious against the smallest nation in the tournament.
Despite dominating the early exchanges, South Africa were in trouble multiple times, especially after the cooling break midway through the first half. Cape Verde, with a population of 600,000 and a player base drawn from a European diaspora, created multiple scoring opportunities but were consistently thwarted by the outstanding performance of South Africa’s goalkeeper.
The game saw missed opportunities on both sides, with Cape Verde's captain, Ryan Mendes, failing to convert a chance in the box. Garry Rodrigues also had a golden opportunity but directed a soft shot at Williams.
South Africa weathered these challenges, and Gilson Benchimol's stoppage-time attempt was brilliantly denied by Williams, who deflected the ball onto the woodwork.
Cape Verde's veteran goalkeeper, Vozinha, made key saves in extra time, including a point-blank stop and a crucial save from a header. However, it was Williams who emerged as the ultimate hero in the penalty shootout. The victory sets up a semi-final clash for South Africa against Nigeria in Bouake on Wednesday.
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Cape Verde, having upset Ghana in the opening match and outperformed record winners Egypt in the group stage were the dark horse in the tournament.
In another quarter-final match, hosts Ivory Coast secured a 2-1 victory against Mali in Bouake, scoring in the last minute of extra time. The Ivorians will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the second semi-final on Wednesday (local time).
