South Africa beat Ethiopia 1-0 in a CAF second-round 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday.
Hours after Ghana had moved top of Group G, Bafana Bafana reclaimed the No 1 spot with a narrow win in Soweto in front of some 2 000 spectators.
It was the first time South African football fans were allowed to attend a match in 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The result moved South Africa a point ahead of the Black Stars in Group G, and effectively ended Ethiopia's chances of reaching Qatar 2022 with two matches remaining.
Bafana next face already eliminated Zimbabwe before a potential group deciding clash in Ghana next month.