Williams takes Bafana Bafana to the semis

And now for Nigeria.

Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams delivered a sublime performance with five telling saves — four of them in the penalty shootout — as Bafana Bafana edged past Cape Verde in their Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal on Saturday night.

The South African football team delivered South Africa’s latest instalment of sporting success as they won 2-1 on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless action.  They are following in the footsteps of the all-conquering Springboks as well as the Proteas who made it to the 50-over semifinal at the Cricket World Cup.

Sport seems to be the only foil for a citizenship subjugated by corruption, incompetence, load-shedding and collapsing infrastructure.

Now is the time to celebrate the boys captained by Williams, who pulled off a spectacular save to deny Cape Verde a certain goal in added time after 90 minutes.

Bafana have ventured into territory uncharted for almost a quarter of a century. 

Not only are they in their first Afcon semifinal since 2000, but the six regulation-time goals Bafana Bafana have scored in this edition of Afcon is also their highest total since 24 years ago.

And yet 18 days earlier fans were ready to write them off after they lost their tournament opener to Mali 0-2. But before yesterday’s showdown the white official supporters’ replica jersey had been sold out.

Coach Hugo Broos is instilling structure and purpose in a side that has been lost at sea for years.

This was Bafana’s third penalty shootout at an Afcon, having won the third-place play-off in 2000 and losing the quarterfinal on home soil in 2013. 

South Africa will face Nigeria in the semifinal on Wednesday, with hosts Cote d’Ivoire taking on the DR Congo in the other contest on the same day.

In 15 contests between these two rivals Bafana Bafana have won two and lost eight. Whatever happens, fans must surely believe that this team can qualify for the World Cup outright for the first time since 2002.