The South African and DR Congo national teams are poised for a showdown to determine the third-place finisher in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast on Saturday.
After an impressive journey in the continental championship, the South African team exited the semifinals with a penalty shootout loss to Nigeria, following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time.
Meanwhile, DR Congo faced a tough battle in the semifinals against the host nation Ivory Coast, who secured a victory with a solitary goal in regular time.
South Africa advanced to the semifinals after finishing second in Group F with 4 points and then defeating Morocco 2-0 in the round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, they overcame Cape Verde on penalties after a goalless draw in regular and extra time.
Coach Hugo Broos relies heavily on a core of players from Sundowns, including goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, defenders Rushine De Reuck, Khuliso Mudau, Lyle Lakay, and Mosa Lebusa, along with midfield anchor Teboho Mokoena and attacking midfielders Themba Zwane, Thabiso Monare, and Thabiso Kutumela, alongside Egyptian Al Ahly’s Percy Tau.
The DR Congo team, champions in 1968 and 1974, faced a challenging journey in the 2023 edition, led by French coach Sebastien Desabre.
They reached the semifinals with only one win, finishing as runners-up in Group D with 3 points after drawing against Zambia, Morocco, and Tanzania.
In the second round, DR Congo defeated Egypt on penalties, securing their lone victory in regular time with a 3-1 win over Guinea in the quarterfinals.
South Africa and DR Congo have met five times before, with South Africa winning three times, losing once, and drawing once.
In these encounters, South Africa scored 6 goals while DR Congo scored 4.
South Africa previously clinched third place in the 2000 edition, while DR Congo achieved this feat twice before in 1998 and 2015.
