The South African national football side ensured that they collected four points in their last two two games and boosted their chances of qualifying for the World Cup in 2026. Here, Smiso Msomi provides individual ratings for Bafana’s players.
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Ronwen Williams: 6 out of 10 – The forever reliable shot-stopper had a busy day at the office with Zimbabwe’s attack providing a reasonable threat but kept his composure throughout the match. And when he was called upon he provided the stability by coming off his line and made decent blocks on the odd occasion.
Khuliso Mudau: 6 – Unlike in the previous game against Nigeria, Mudau had a largely quiet match with Zimbabwe’s 5-3-2 formation leaving him unoccupied for large periods of the game. With no one to mark, he flew down the line on the offence most of the time, although he couldn’t register any assist on the night.
Aubrey Modiba: 6 – The Mamelodi Sundowns man’s only blemish was his role in the goal Bafana conceded as he fell asleep while Zimbabwe exploited his left-back side.
Mothobi Mvala: 6 – The off-colour performances period of Mvala resurfaced again in this encounter as he was guilty of poor positioning for the Warrior's goal. Except for that error, the towering centre-back had a decent outing and helped Bafana claim an important win.
Siyabonga Ngezana: 7 – Ngezana’s glorious return to Bafana continued in Bloemfontein as he won 100% of his ground duels while maintaining 94% passing accuracy as well. Despite being part of a defence that conceded, the 26-year-old showed a new side to his game as he influenced Bafana’s build-up play.
Teboho Mokoena: 6 – Mokoena was deployed higher up the pitch by coach Hugo Broos in this encounter, which meant he was asked to provide the creative juice alongside Themba Zwane. Although he lost the ball 15 times and was guilty of a few poor challenges, he still exhibited decent midfield play and balanced his game with his midfield partners.
Sphephelo Sithole: 8 – The Portugal-based midfielder was one of the best players for Bafana once again. His big build helped him match Zimbabwe’s aerial threat in midfield and set pieces, while his passing accuracy was at 89% on a cold night in the Free State.
Themba Zwane: 6 – It was a quiet night for Zwane by his usual lofty standards as he failed to muster any direct goal involvements. However, the 34-year-old kept play ticking over between the defensive and midfield lines of Zimbabwe.
Oswin Appollis: 8 – Appollis had his best performance in a national team shirt. Although he took a while to find his feet, the Polokwane City man capped his night with an assist and announced his name on the international stage.
Elias Mokwana: 6 – The trickster had an eventful 45 minutes on the pitch as he blazed past his marker on numerous occasions but an injury saw his night end early and he was withdrawn at half-time.
Iqraam Rayners: 7 – Rayners continued his fine form in front of goal as he put the hosts in front inside 40 seconds. He would fade away as the game wore on but Broos kept him on as his pace remained a threat for Bafana.
Thapelo Morena: 9 – Morena was the definition of a ‘super substitute’ as he scored a brace when the two teams were level at 1-1. The flying winger was just too much to handle for the visiting team with his pace and energy and rightly claimed the Player-of-the-Match award.
Relebohile Mofokeng: N/A