Bafana Bafana stars after Afcon defeat. Images: X @bafanabafana
WATCH: Bafana Bafana stars in tears after Afcon defeat
Bafana Bafana stars were left in tears after losing to Nigeria in last night’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.
Bafana Bafana stars after Afcon defeat. Images: X @bafanabafana
Bafana Bafana crushed out of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after losing to Nigeria in the semi-finals on Wednesday, 7 February. The epic semi-final showdown ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
Extra time provided no goals, sending the tie to penalties. Nigeria went on to win 4-2 on penalties. No doubt Stanley Nwabali’s heroics during the shootout made the difference. He saved Teboho Mokoena and Evidence Makgopa’s efforts.
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BAFANA BAFANA STARS IN TEARS AFTER AFCON DEFEAT
However, after the final whistle blew, some Bafana Bafana stars were in tears. Makgopa was seen wiping off tears while on the bench. Other players gave a sobering thought after the final whistle. Zwane was also seen down and out as he walked off the pitch.
Some players looked dejected in the now-viral video shared on X. No doubt, their spirited effort fell short, but their performance wowed many.
Bafana Bafana captioned the now-viral video on X, “We fought our fight! And will continue doing so till the end! Thank you again, South Africa, for standing with us throughout.”
While in the dressing room after the match, South African Football Association president Daniel Alexander “Danny” Jordaan gave Bafana Bafana stars some words of encouragement and praised them for their Afcon heroics.
This was one of the best performances of Bafana Bafana in years. The team reached the Afcon semi-finals for the first time in 24 years. However, their road to the semi-finals wasn’t rosy. Bafana Bafana knocked out Morocco in the last 16 before knocking out Cape Verde in the quarterfinals.
ALSO READ: Bafana Bafana to battle for ‘bronze’ at AFCON 2023
NEXT AFCON FIXTURE
Bafana Bafana will take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in that battle for the bronze medal after the second semi-final saw hosts Ivory Coast eke out a narrow 1-0 win over DR Congo.
The third-place playoff will take place on Saturday, 10 February, at 22:00 (SA time). The final is scheduled for exactly 24 hours later.
ALSO READ: Bafana can avenge their loss to Nigeria later when it really matters
