Kgtalana the hero as South Africa squeeze into Women's Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kgatlana-thembi/KEqY2g2K/"]Thembi Kgatlana[/a]’s first-half strike settled the contest and, coupled with a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ivory-coast-2iLuzkms/tanzania-p2wIs1Ae/?mid=ATMh5k1S"]2-1[/a] win for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/2iLuzkms/"]Ivory Coast[/a] over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tanzania/p2wIs1Ae/"]Tanzania[/a] in the other Group B match, earned Banyana Banyana second place in the pool.[/p][p]The Ivorians topped the group with seven points, followed by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/23FeDl3D/"]South Africa[/a] on four, and Tanzania and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burkina-faso/U96KCev4/"]Burkina Faso[/a] on three each.[/p][p]South Africa now face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IButJ9mf/"]Morocco[/a] in the quarter-finals in Rabat on Saturday, while the Ivorians take on a tough [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/algeria/CdsPai41/"]Algeria[/a] side in their last-eight clash in Casablanca on the same day.[/p][p]The four semi-finalists in the tournament will qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the losing quarter-finalists will play for two intercontinental play-off places to keep their dreams of reaching the global finals alive.[/p][embed guid="70cd2af5-1890-41e8-ba37-c3bee193f363" url="https://x.com/Banyana_Banyana/status/2084744932808376395?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]South Africa’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/magaia-hildah/nVhUhlr7/"]Hildah Magaia[/a] had an early chance on the left-hand side of the box, but as she tried to chip the ball into the far corner of the net, it went narrowly over the bar.[/p][p]Burkina Faso should have taken the lead when some hesitant defending between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dhlamini-karabo/EZTihkab/"]Karabo Dhlamini[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbane-bambanani/IBW5qe4r/"]Bambanani Mbane[/a] saw them leave the ball for each other. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/congo-adama/dMQe6N6L/"]Adama Congo[/a] raced clear but was denied in a one-on-one opportunity by goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swart-kaylin/jmc1dx9g/"]Kaylin Swart[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ludwig-isabella/ShVvrXP0/"]Isabella Ludwig[/a] headed just wide for South Africa, and moments later Banyana Banyana took the lead in the 21st minute.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cesane-noxolo/jTyWINGM/"]Noxolo Cesane[/a]’s low ball into the box was missed by Burkinabe defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/belem-alimata/2ozADzrr/"]Alimata Belem[/a], whose failed clearance allowed Kgatlana to ghost in and score from close range.[/p][image alt="Match statistics" id="73196e54-8739-4fd6-99b9-80ea9f2c03ed" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="4d245952-8092-4fd3-877e-b66e4d593307" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Kgatlana fired over from the edge of the box following a clever free-kick routine with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jane-refiloe/AiU5tb9b/"]Refiloe Jane[/a] as South Africa took a 1-0 lead into the break.[/p][p]Burkina Faso thought they had a penalty early in the second half when referee Aline Etong initially awarded a spot-kick for a foul by Mbane. However, following a Video Assistant Referee review, she decided the defender had got a touch on the ball and overturned her decision.[/p][p]Ludwig missed a golden chance at the other end when Kgatlana’s ball from the right only needed to be turned home, but the midfielder could not get a strong enough touch.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/motau-amogelang/fHCdRuR7/"]Amogelang Motau[/a] blazed wide from a good position, while Kgatlana fired off target after spotting the goalkeeper off her line as she broke down the right.[/p][infobox id="89d8dac9-56aa-4b5e-897b-9c5da03c43e1" /]