Williams carries South Africa into the semis as more drama unfolds at AFCON

Ronwen Williams did something that has not been seen before at an AFCON tournament as he carried South Africa into the semifinals of this remarkable tale unfolding in Cote D’Ivoire. With all drama that had gone before, nobody thought we would see what transpired in the Cape Verde versus South Africa match.

AFCON 2023 is the gift that keeps on giving, and Saturday night was no different. The fight for a semifinal berth between Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks and Bafana Bafana of South Africa went all the way to the lottery of penalties. No surprises there, as it is a normal occurrence at a football tournament.

Many keepers have been carried on the shoulders of teammates after saving one, maybe two penalties. In rare occasions, the goalminder can bump into three spot kicks, with one or two going over the bar, hitting the post, and so on. None of Cape Verde’s four failed penalties hit the post, went wide, or sailed over the bar. Ronwen Williams saved them all. A feat that will have the Mamelodi Sundowns player go down into AFCON folklore.

While Williams’ agent can look forward to a flurry of phone calls from clubs and advertising representatives, the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo are now dreaming of winning AFCON under three different names. It all looked hopeless when Guinea took the lead from a Mahomed Bayo penalty, but the dream was restored within seven minutes when Chance Mbemba equalised. Goals from Yoane Wissa and Arthur Masuaku mean DR Congo can add to the two trophies won as Zaire and Congo-Kinshasa.

Williams’ heroics have set up the proverbial ‘final before the final’ against Nigeria’s Super Eagles. This a clash that steeped in 28 years of banter between Nigerians and their most southern African brothers. When South Africa won the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria was not at the tournament. It has always been the belief of Nigerians that Bafana Bafana would not have lifted that trophy had the Super Eagles been in South Africa that year.

All three teams mentioned already have nothing on the journey taken by the AFCON 2023 hosts. From being embarrassed in the group stages, to being minutes from elimination as teams scored last-minute winners and equalisers in other groups, to facing the all-conquering defending champions, Ivory Coast is standing in the competition. In what is now common and unsurprising at AFCON 2023, Simon Adingra equalised for a 10-men Ivory Coast in the 90th minute. Following in the theme of this year’s tournament, Seko Fofana fired a shot that came off teammate Oumar Diakite and went in. This was in the 122nd minute.

It has been the most enthralling AFCON tournament by very far and we can only dream about what the two semifinal fixtures will throw at us on Wednesday night. Nigeria and South Africa will settle the 1996 debate in the early kickoff before DR Congo will feel the atmosphere of a sold-out stadium in the game against hosts Ivory Coast.