By Michael Madyira
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says Themba Zwane’s injury caused South Africa to drop points in their 1-1 draw against Congo-Brazzaville on Tuesday.
Bafana Bafana led the game but couldn’t maintain their advantage, allowing Congo to level in this Group K match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Stade Alphonse Massamba-Débat.
South Africa is now second in the group, trailing Uganda by two points and leading Congo by four.
Zwane, the team’s vice-captain, was forced off the pitch five minutes before half-time due to injury. Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates replaced him but had little impact on the game.
“Themba Zwane is a very important player for us,” Broos told Safa media.
“It was a bad thing for us that Themba had to leave the field with an injury.”
Broos revealed that Zwane’s Achilles tendon injury may keep him out for months and he could miss South Africa’s next matches in November.
“An Achilles tendon injury is a big injury,” Broos added.
“Losing a key player like Themba is difficult, especially in a game we dominated. He’s someone who can hold the ball and make the final pass.”
Bafana now need only two points from their remaining two games to qualify for Afcon. They face Uganda away and host South Sudan.
While Bafana are close to qualifying, Ghana face a tough road after losing 2-0 to Sudan in Libya.
The Black Stars are now third in Group F with just two points from two games. Sudan, coached by Ghana legend Kwesi Appiah, held Ghana to a 0-0 draw in Accra last week before beating them in Libya.
Elsewhere, Sierra Leone shocked Ivory Coast with a 1-0 win, delaying the Elephants’ qualification from Group G.
Eight teams have already secured their places at Afcon: Morocco, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Algeria, DR Congo, Senegal, Egypt, and Angola.
The Confederation of African Football has referred Nigeria to its disciplinary body after they boycotted their match against Libya due to poor treatment.
Pictured above: Bafana Bafana players celebrate Themba Zwane’s goal against Algeria in March 2024.
Source: Bafana Bafana
