Sports Correspondent
South Africa’s seasoned player, Themba Zwane, scored twice as they secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Namibia in their Africa Cup of Nations Group E encounter, enhancing their prospects of advancing to the last-16.
Zwane’s goals, coupled with Percy Tau’s 14th-minute penalty and a contribution from substitute Thapelo Maseko, solidified South Africa’s dominance at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium. Zwane’s impressive performance, with two goals within 15 minutes, established a first-half lead that Namibia couldn’t recover from.
South Africa, boasting the largest victory margin of the tournament in the Ivory Coast, surpassed Namibia on goal difference in the standings, trailing leaders Mali with four points and sitting two points ahead of top-seeded Tunisia with one point.
Despite Namibia’s early missed opportunities, including a crucial eighth-minute chance for striker Peter Shalulile, South Africa capitalized on a VAR-awarded penalty, with Percy Tau successfully converting to give them the lead.
Zwane added to the scoreline with two more goals, showcasing his skill and speed.
Thapelo Maseko’s contribution sealed the 4-0 win in the 75th minute, capping off a dominant performance by South Africa.
The victory positions them favorably in the group standings, setting the stage for an important clash against Tunisia in their concluding group match, while Namibia faces Mali.