ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Kumasi | Friday 1.30pm.
IT may not have always been pretty, but it was a pretty effective display by Bafana Bafana as they became the first team to qualify for the African Nations Cup quarter-finals on Thursday night.
Shaun Bartlett raised his tournament tally to three with an opportunist goal in first-half injury time and South Africa would not have been flattered had they won by a couple more before a disappointingly small crowd.
Helman Mkhalele, a much improved performer on the right side of midfield, hit the underside of the crossbar after only 11 minutes and Congolese fullback Michel Dinzey cleared Dumisa Ngobe and Lucas Radebe shots off the line.
The breakthrough came at a crucial psychological moment as Bafana Bafana would have been downhearted to leave the immaculate Asokwa Stadium pitch at half-time on level terms after controlling the opening 45 minutes.
Bartlett could have had another goal midway through the second half as Mayala knew little about a header off an Ngobe cross, but the ball struck his face and went away for a corner.
Talking of corners, they are usually a good barometer of pressure and Bafana Bafana forced 14 — including four within 10 minutes of the kick-off — against six by a somewhat subdued Congolese Simba (Lions) side.
Congo did have a wonderful opportunity to equalise with 20 minutes left when Michel Ngonge from English Premiership club Watford broke clear down the middle only to see his shot deflected off target by an outstretched Andre Arendse leg.
A lively ending to a tense rather than scintillating match saw Congo force several corners, but South Africa held out with reasonable comfort and a draw against Algeria on Wednesday evening will guarantee first place in Group B.
That would mean staying in this central Ghanaian city for a quarter-finals clash with the Group A runners-up, who are most likely to be Cameroon or hosts Ghana with Cote d’Ivoire the other possibility.