OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kumasi | Thursday 10.30pm.
SOUTH Africa became the first country to reach the African Nations Cup quarter-finals when Bafana Bafana defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 on Thursday in a Group B match.
A goal at the end of the first half by Shaun Bartlett raised his tournament tally to three after scoring twice against Gabon and assured Bafana of one of the two places in the knockout stages.
It was a workmanlike display by the 1996 champions and 1998 runners-up and leaves the other three teams to fight for the second berth with Algeria facing Gabon on Saturday in the next match.
Bafana showed no changes from the team that defeated Gabon 3-1 while DR Congo axed Emeka Esanga and gave a first cap to Mubama Kibwey from a French lower league club.
Congolese goalkeeper Nkueni Mayala, hero of the drab 0-0 deadlock against Algeria, had to move smartly within 60 seconds of the kick-off to block a close-range effort from Siyabonga Nomvete.
Helman Mkhalele, one of several South Africans with more than 50 caps, was unlucky after 11 minutes when his shot struck the underside of the crossbar and Mayala snatched the rebound as Bartlett rushed in.
The best chance of the first half for the Central Africans fell to Kibwey after 18 minutes when he was left unmarked inside the penalty area only for his header to sail harmlessly over.
Nomvete was a constant threat with his speed and skill and Bafana twice came agonisingly close from corners as defender Michel Dinzey cleared off the line from Dumisa Ngobe and captain Lucas Radebe.
Mounting pressure from smooth-moving Bafana Bafana finally paid dividends in first-half injury time when Mkhalele moved forward from the centre of the superbly-prepared pitch.
The Turkey-based wingback passed to Nomvete, whose flick was headed into the path of Bartlett by Mkhalele and the striker quickly controlled the ball before stabbing it past Mayala with the outside of his boot.
Bartlett from Swiss club Zurich came close again 18 minutes into the second half with a header off a Ngobe cross that struck Mayala on the face and went out for a corner.
Michel Ngonge had a glorious chance to equalise with 20 minutes left as he burst through the middle only to see his shot deflected away from danger by the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Andre Arendse.
The Nigerian referee who regularly battled to keep up with play and allowed several bookable offences to go finally raised a yellow card after 76 minutes to caution Congolese captain Kabwe Kasongo. — AFP