Bafana sent packing from Cosafa Cup by Mozambique

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Defending champions Bafana Bafana were knocked out of the Cosafa Cup in the quarter-finals after a 5-4 loss on penalties to Mozambique.

The youthful South African side, as has become the norm over the years, got off to a bright start with Siama going close to opening the scoring within  13 minutes after evading his marker in the box before firing inches wide of the upright.

Mozambique began to find their feet after absorbing the early pressure and had a chance of their own 10 minutes later as former Cape Town City left back Edmilson Dove fired a low shot from the edge of the box, but it was tipped around the post by shotstopper Lincoln Vyver.

Heading into the second half both sides knew they needed to up the tempo if they were going to break the deadlock, but Radiopane’s shot from outside the box sailing over the bar was the only flashpoint in a largely uneventful opening hour.

The South Africans continued to press forward but still struggled to threaten the Mambas goal and, despite pinning the visitors in their own half, the match ended goalless in regulation time and went straight to penalty shootouts.

Bafana lost the dramatic shootouts 5-4 in sudden death, as Siyanda Msani missed the decisive spot kick while Pachoio Lau Ha King scored the winning penalty for the Mambas to seal a spot in the semi-finals.

Mozambique will face Namibia in the semi-finals while South Africa will lock horns with Madagascar in the plate semi-finals, both on Friday.

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Dean Workman