By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Bafana Bafana progressed to this year’s Cosafa Cup Plate final after beating Madagascar 2-1 in a semifinal tie which took place at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont, Durban, on Friday.
They will now face either Botswana or Eswatini who will be locking horns later today in pursuit of a spot in the final that will take place on 17 July, also at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.
In this tie, Bafana Bafana played with more verve pressing forward trying to score an early goal to help them settle in the match.
That goal came in the 22nd minute when Keletso Sifama converted his first Bafana Bafana goal, following a sweet cross from the far side.
Chumani Butsaka made it 2-0 with a powerful drive inside the 18-yard box in the second period, while Madagascar could only manage a consolation goal through Kolani Razafindranavio’s finish in the 87th minute.
Meanwhile, coach Helman Mkhalele who started the regional competition on the wrong foot is happy how his youthful Bafana squad is improving in preparations for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Qualifiers.
The 52-year-old mentor assembled Under-21 players for this year’s COSAFA tournament currently underway in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
Mkhalele reckons that giving the Under-23 players the needed playing exposure will go a long way in helping South Africa qualify for their third in a row Olympic Games as he believes that the vision for building the Olympic squad is on track.
“This was good exposure to the lads as we continue to build towards the Under-23 2024 Olympic Qualifiers,” Mkhalele explained.