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Bafana Bafana XI: Williams (GK, C); Mudau, Kekana, Mvala, Modiba; Sithole, Mokoena, Zwane; Tau, Morena, Makgopa.
Substitutes: Goss (GK), Mothwa (GK), Xulu, Sibisi, Mashego, Mobbie, Monare, Mayambela, Adams, Maseko, Lepasa, Appollis.
Tunisia XI: Ben Said (GK); Elabdi, Talbi, Meriah (C), Kechrida; Laidouni, Skhiri; Rafia, Elyes, Ben Slimane, Jaziri.
Substitutes: Mouez (GK), Aymen (GK), Maaloul, Jlassi, Hadadi, Yan, Romdhan, Msakni, Jouini, Ltaief, Srarfi, Sliti.
24 January 21:15
Bafana Bafana seal last 16 passage with comfortable display against struggling Tunisians
Bafana Bafana showed character to cleverly manage Tunisia and advance to the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after finishing second in Group E.
The South Africans will now face the winners of Group F – which consists of Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Tanzania – on Wednesday in San Pedro.
The performance wasn't flashy, but it was efficient against a Tunisian team that threatened to flip the script on Bafana and bounce back in the last group match after a dismal showing previously.
The drama and heart-stopping finishes of the last round of matches in Group A right up to D supported the Tunisian's belief....
24 January 21:02
FULL-TIME: Bafana Bafana 0-0 Tunisia
Bafana Bafana has booked their place in Round 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations, securing their knockout ticket with a goalless draw against Tunisia in the final Group E match.
South Africa will now face the winner of Group F (Morocco, DR Congo, Zambia or Tanzania) on Tuesday, 30 January (22:00 SA time), after finishing as runners-up of their group behind Mali, who will take on Burkina Faso.
Namibia, meanwhile, advanced as one of the best third-place nations and will meet Angola on Saturday. Tunisia's tournament ends here.
Tanzania will play DR Congo, while Morocco faces Zambia at 22:00 (SA time) tonight. By midnight, Bafana will know who they will meet in their knockout tie next week.
No calculators needed for Bafana tonight.
24 January 20:50
88 min: A golden opportunity for Tunisia to score and put South Africa to their misery. But Jouini couldn't keep his header down.
24 January 20:45
83 min: SUBSTITUTION
Bafana - Lepasa comes to the fore as well in place of Makgopa
Tunisia - Skhiri taken off for Romdhan
24 January 20:40
76 min: CHANCE! And Bafana cracks open the can of attack. Sithole delivers a superb, low, and powerful strike from approximately 25 yards. The ball almost finds the bottom corner, but Ben Said makes a crucial save, deflecting it to safety.
24 January 20:34
72 min: Tunisia cannot unlock this Bafana defence and have been below par in the final third. Bafana have, however, done all they could to lessen any mistakes. They are also managing the game very well but are not doing much on attack. Broos' side are more than okay with sitting back and slowing down the game.
24 January 20:13
24 January 19:53
HALF-TIME: Bafana Bafana 0-0 Tunisia
That was a tense and fiery first half. Bafana had their chances, so too has Tunisia.
The North Africans has enjoyed a better spell with the ball, while Bafana have shown the hunger to go forward when they can but still have nothing to show for it.
Aubrey Modiba has been struggling at left back as the pace of the Tunisians, while the heat may be a factor. Will Broos give Mashego a taste of this Afcon tournament? Today's match may be the perfect anecdote for it to happen.
While, we look at this score, it could spell a positive for Bafana as Namibia are still holding Mali with the same scoreline.
But this current 0-0 scoreline will favour the Tunisians more is what I see. They kept the clean sheet in the first half and now can throw their all in the second stanza.
Whether Bafana can weather that storm or create one of their own will be interesting to witness.
24 January 19:46
A perfect summation and analysis of the first half by former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates head coach Muhsin Ertugral.
24 January 19:30
27 min: CHANCE! Percy Tau slithers pasts a sea of red jerseys as the Tunisians are caught on the back foot. He dazzled into the penalty area, then sneakingly cross for an oncoming Makgopa. The Orlando Pirates striker gets a head on it and misses the target by a whisker from an acute angle.
The best chance of the match.
24 January 19:25
21 min: CHANCE! Kechrida again getting beyond Modiba - AGAIN! The winger squeezes through a tasteful through ball, for a red shirt to latch onto and just tap in. However, Mudau, Bafana's best player in this tie so far, is perfectly positioned to backheel the ball to safety.
24 January 19:18
15 min: Aubrey Modiba has been a liability, losing his duels and being sucked in, leaving space for Tunisia to capitalise on. Luckily for Bafana, Mvala and Kekana have come to the rescue of any threat.
Meanwhile, Bafana are slowly getting back into the tie regarding possession. Passing has been good, as well as finding space, but the Tunisian back four have been solid as a rock thus far.
24 January 19:11
Permutations:
Bafana will approach their match against Tunisia with a sense of comfort.
A victory would secure their spot in the knockout stage, and even a draw might be sufficient for them to advance as one of the best third-placed teams.
On the other hand, Tunisia, with only one point, must secure a win, regardless of the outcome between Mali and Namibia, in a match that kicks off simultaneously.
If Tunisia triumphs against South Africa and Namibia defeats Mali, Bafana Bafana would be eliminated.
24 January 19:08
5 min: As anticipated, both Tunisia and South Africa strongly desire to take the initiative. Bafana, with Ronwen Williams in goal, are employing the long ball as a strategic approach.
On the other hand, the North Africans are opting to play out from the back, gaining an advantage in the midfield but encountering a resilient South African defence at the moment.
24 January 18:59
Just an interesting observation here from Korhogo, Ivory Coast.
This match takes place at Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.
The weather all day round was high, 36 degrees Celcius.
The Humidity, however, was at a low of 12, while the wind, as well, is relatively low at 13 km/h.
24 January 18:53
We are gearing up here, as the players exit the tunnel for the last time to get this fiery and epic Afcon tie underway.
24 January 18:45
Jalel Kadri – Tunisia Coach: "We know people are expecting a lot from us. We are in a difficult group and need to play well in order to succeed. We have to start with high concentration in the match. We have several players with experience, but we still need to work hard to get the victory. South Africa has a team of players who have experience on the continent from Mamelodi Sundowns. Tunisia needs to use its strength. SA is good offensively and we should be ready for that.
Seifeddine Jaziri – Tunisia Forward: "We know it will not be easy and when we are in this situation, we only rely on God. We have to be present on a physical aspect and also present across all levels.The team performs better when they are in difficult situations. We will take up our responsibility and play well in order to make Tunisians happy."
(Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
24 January 18:42
Words from Bafana defender Kekana:
"Everyone is confident and looking forward to tomorrow. We don’t want to go home early. We will try our best to get a good result. We are fortunate enough at Sundown to experience different conditions of Africa.
"Sometimes, the hostility as well. It has played a big role in how we approach this AFCON. The level is very high, and all teams want to win. We are grateful that we have played in the Champions League, which has helped us in this tournament."
Image: SAFA MEDIA
24 January 18:41
Words from Bafana coach Broos:
"Our first goal was to achieve the second round and pass the group stages. Our opponent has a slight advantage since they have had a day more to prepare. However, after Sunday’s big victory, we have a boost of energy.
"The team will be ready. We know Tunisia is a great team. I think they underestimated Namibia; the match against Mali is what we will analyze. We will fight every second for a good result. It will be a very heated game. They are under pressure, but the same applies to us because if we lose, it will be a tricky situation."
IMAGE: SAFA MEDIA
24 January 18:40
After their convincing 4-0 victory over Namibia, South Africa will come up against Tunisia in search of a win.
The South African team rebounded impressively from their 2-0 defeat to Mali, showcasing a high-scoring performance against Namibia on Sunday.
On the other hand, Tunisia, who suffered a surprising 1-0 loss to Namibia in their opening game, managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Mali.
Both teams are eager for nothing less than a victory in this crucial encounter.
With an outside chance of qualification, Tunisia holds a single point, while Bafana Bafana is in second place behind group leaders Mali.
24 January 18:07
*** Team news just in:
Bafana - Hugo Broos has opted to stick with the same starting XI that trounced Namibia. However, on the formation sheet, it looks as if Sithole will play a deeper role as a defensive midfielder, while Zwane shifts from a forward role to his usual midfield attacking role, slotting next to Mokoena. Tau is wide and forward on the left flank.
Tunisia - A surprise from the North African technical team as the ever influential Msakni starts on the bench for continental giants.
