South Africa secured their spot in the semifinals of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations after a hard-fought 1-0 win over DR Congo on Monday night.
The young Bafana Bafana booked their ticket to the final four following a tense encounter against the Congolese. In a match that remained tightly contested throughout, it was Thabang Mahlangu who broke the deadlock during extra time, scoring the only goal of the game.
With this victory, South Africa not only advanced to the semifinals but also clinched a place at the U20 World Cup, set to take place in September in Chile.
They will now face Nigeria in the semifinals—a team that eliminated defending champions Senegal in a penalty shootout (0-0, 3-1 on pens).