Zambia beat Bafana to remain on course for seventh Cosafa Cup title

Albert Kangwanda (Cosafa media)

In a closely contested battle at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday, Bafana Bafana faced a disappointing outcome, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat against Zambia in the Cosafa Cup semi-final.

After a remarkable comeback from being a goal down, the Copper Bullets, who boast an impressive six Cosafa titles, secured their spot in the final against Lesotho on Sunday (kick-off at 18:00).

Earlier on Friday, Lesotho secured a victory over Malawi in a thrilling penalty shootout in the tournament’s other semi-final.

Zambia emerged triumphant against a determined Bafana team, thanks to goals scored by Golden Mashata and Albert Kangwanda.

Bafana were undoubtedly favourites in front of their home crowd, and their cadence in the opening minutes showed just that, putting together a string of decent plays before Zambia found a rhythm of their own.

South Africa soared on a euphoric high, basking in the glory of their triumphant journey to the semi-finals.

They effortlessly clinched the top spot in Group A thanks to one draw against Namibia and two resounding victories against Botswana and Eswatini.

Zambia suffered only one defeat in Group B to Malawi before earning six points in victories against Comoros and Seychelles, which resulted in Chipolopolo advancing to the semi-finals on the next best-placed team.

As the match progressed, Bafana seized the moment by using the home crowd's cheers as motivation, casting their opponents into a state of awe as they pushed and pursued an opener.

It eventually came on the cusp of half-time.

Tshegofatso Mabasa leapt into action as a deflected shot found the Orlando Pirates forward in space, and he acrobatically sent  the ball into the back of the Zambian net.

The lead that had been established lasted for a mere six minutes before Zambia took advantage of Bafana’s defensive frailties.

Golden Mashata scored the equaliser with a close-range tap-in as at least four Bafana shirts failed to clear the danger. This turn of events silenced the home crowd’s cheers, while the jubilant celebrations of the Zambian team echoed through the stadium.

Momentum noticeably swung in favour of the visiting team, leaving the Bafana side without any effective responses.

The Zambian players relentlessly applied pressure on their opponents, and their persistence soon yielded fruitful results.

A stunning 18-yard free kick from Albert Kangwanda curled into the top left corner giving goalkeeper Olwethu Mzimela no chance as he did not attempt to dive to stop the strike.

In the final 15 minutes of the match, Bafana had several opportunities to turn the tide in their favour.

However, they were unable to capitalise on concrete goalscoring chances as Zambia exhibited a resolute defence, ensuring that their victory was firmly secured.

Zambia held their ground and effectively thwarted Bafana's attempts, leaving no room for doubt regarding the outcome of the match.