Goalkeeper Veli Mothwa proved the shoot-out hero as South Africa claimed a fifth COSAFA Cup title with a 5-4 victory on penalties against Senegal following a 0-0 draw in the 2021 final at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium on Sunday.
Mothwa saved from Dominique Mendy and then watched as opposite number Pape Ndiaye blasted over the bar as South Africa won back the title they last held in 2016.
The teams had to settle for a 0-0 draw in a game of few opportunities, though the home side had the better of them, especially late on in extra-time, with Kagiso Malinga blasting wide
and Sifiso Ngobeni with a poor first touch when he had just the goalkeeper to beat.
It was the first time the COSAFA Cup final has been decided on penalties since South Africa lifted the trophy in 2007, defeating Zambia via spot-kicks in the decider.
Eswatini picked up the bronze medal with a nail-biting 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Mozambique following a 1-1 draw.
