BLOG | Bafana v Cape Verde: All the action as Afcon quarter goalless at the start

26min

As it's hit something of a midfield lull in action, two sides summing each other up and probing more cautiosly

16min

Pina showing himself a danger man for the islanders, skips past a challenge and hits a low shot from outside the box wide of the right upright.

14min

Mokoena slips Themba Zwane dangerously into the box in the middle who scuffs a shot wide.

10min

Nice attacking move from Bafana, stroking the ball around on the edge of the Cape Verde area, as Thapelo Morena tees up Teboho Mokoena who has a nice, strong curling shot, though it's comfortably into the arms of goalkeeper Vózinha.

6min

Cape Verde tentatively applying early forward pressure in the opening minutes and earn a corner that Kevin Pina can only get a feint header too, vaguely in the direction of Ronwen Williams's goal. Not quite a half-chance even. Come good challenges coming as Bafana's all-Mamelodi Sundowns defence mostly holds firm.

1min

And we are off ...

9.57pm

The anthems are complete ...

9.54pm

Some of the well wiches for Bafana on social media, including that South African giant of sport, Siya Kolisi and the Boks:

9.50pm

And it's 10min to go to kickoff ... of this huge, huge game for Bafana Bafana, South African football and South Africa. Mzansi, are you ready? Let's get this show in the road ...

9.42pm

Also, don't miss also the all new Arena Sports Show's dissection of the Morocco win and lookahead to Bafana v Cape Verde.

Clauiee Grace Mpanza hosts analysts William Shongwe , Sizwe Mabena and TimesLIVE senior football writer Mahlatse Mphahlele, below:

9.36pm

With the teams and introductions out of the way, here is some of TimesLIVE's buildup to this game for the reader's perusal as we await kickoff in about 23min now:

9.14pm 

Hugo Broos has again named an unchanged starting XI for Bafana Bafana's Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal clash.

Broos kept faith with his XI who have done duty in the last three games in Ivory Coast — the 4-0 group win against Tunisia and 0-0 draw against Tunisia and Tuesday night's 2-0 shock of Morocco in the last 16 in San Pedro.

Bafana XI: 1. Ronwen Williams (capt); 20. Khuliso Mudau, 14. Mothobi Mvala, 18. Grant Kekana, 6. Maphoa Modiba; 23. Thapelo Morena, 13. Sphephelo Sithole, 4. Teboho Mokoena, 10. Percy Tau; 11. Themba Zwane, 9. Evidence Makgopa

Cape Verde Islands: 1. Vózinha, 4. Pico, 23. Steven Moreira, 5. Logan Costa, 10. Jamiro Monteiro, 18. Kenny Rocha, 26. Kevin Pina, 8. João Paulo, 20. Ryan Mendes; 11. Garry Rodrigues, 7. Jovane Cabral

Saturday February 3 — 9.11pm 

Good evening, and welcome to the live blog of the biggest football match of the year for South Africans.

Bafana Bafana, shock and slayers of heroic slayers of 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco in the last 16 in Ivory Coast, meet tournament upstarts Cape Verde Islands in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal at Stade Charles Konan Banny in Yamoussoukro on Tuesday night.

After the South Africans beat the continent's top-ranked team, some would be forgive for believing Cape Verde — actually ranked lower than Bafana (the islanders are 73rd in the world and 14th in Africa, South Africa are 66th and 12th) — will present an easier game.

But many pundits and ex-internationals — including Bafana's 1996 Nations Cup-winning captain Neil Tovey and 1990s Bafana midfielder David Modise — have cautioned in-form Cape Verde might even present a tougher prospect.

To introduce himself, your live blogger tonight is Marc Strydom, TimesLIVE and Arena Holdings digital sports editor, foolishly stubborn diehard Bafana Bafana supporter and football writer of a good 25 years-ish now, and son of the KwaZulu-Natal soil (though he was born in Gqeberha, actually).

A qualification, of course, is that I am not in the stadium in San Pedro, but in the Arena Holdings offices in Parktown. But I will bring you the action, and try to capture the atmosphere too. 

Go Bafana!