Ronwen Williams guides Bafana Bafana to 3rd place bronze medal. South Africa secured third place at the Africa Cup of Nations after winning a penalty shootout 6-5 against the  Democratic Republic of Congo. Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the hero again as he saved two penalties in the shootout. After DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba missed his penalty, Williams saved the decisive spot-kick from Meschak Elia to secure South Africa’s best finish in the tournament for 24 years. Belgian coach Hugo Broos, who led Cameroon to victory in 2017, was given the bumps after adding a third-place ‘bronze’ to his previous win.

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The game, which ended goalless after 90 minutes, saw South Africa become the first team to play three straight Afcon penalty shootouts. Williams had also saved four penalties in their quarter-final win against Cape Verde. Despite fielding a starting XI largely composed of players from Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the inaugural African Football League last year. South Africa rode their luck against DR Congo, who had made nine changes to the team beaten in the semi-finals. The Leopards will be disappointed after missing several chances, notably Mbemba and Fiston Mayele.

SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa’s victory was their third over DR Congo in the Nations Cup, rewarding a campaign where they have both surprised and impressed many observers. They have conceded just one goal in their last six games, in the semi-final defeat to Nigeria. South Africa now look ahead to the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, where they are set to face Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia.

DR Congo

DR Congo, meanwhile, can look back on an impressive campaign in which they have only been beaten once, by the Ivory Coast in the semi-finals. Coach Sebastian Desabre expertly marshalled the team into a compact unit with defensive solidity and attacking flair. Although they missed out on a medal, the Leopards will take heart from their performance and look to build on their progress in future tournaments.

-afrogazette-