Bafana Bafana will need to secure victory against Uganda in Kampala next month to ensure back-to-back qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a 1-1 draw against Congo at the Stade Alphonse Massamba-Debat in Brazzaville on Tuesday.

A win in this match would have guaranteed Hugo Broos’s side a place alongside Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, and DR Congo in the teams that have already qualified for the 2025 AFCON, with two matches remaining.

Uganda triumphed 2-1 over South Sudan on Tuesday, allowing them to maintain the top spot in Group K with 10 points, needing just one more point to confirm their place in Morocco. Meanwhile, Bafana sit in second place with eight points, after being held to a draw in Brazzaville by a side they had comprehensively defeated 5-0 in Gqeberha last Friday.

Should Bafana fail to secure victory in Kampala on 11 November, they will have another opportunity to qualify as long as they beat South Sudan at home on 19 November.

Elias Mokwana’s 33rd-minute goal gave Bafana a deserved lead, but poor defending just before half-time allowed the hosts to equalise.

Mokwana’s goal was no easy feat, as he expertly controlled a superb pass from Aubrey Modiba, skillfully evaded a couple of defenders, and fired a shot that Congo goalkeeper Ethan Vimalin initially appeared to have saved. However, the ball bounced off him and fell back into Mokwana’s path, who made no mistake with his second attempt.

By the time Mokwana found the net, Bafana were firmly in control of the match and were unlucky not to have taken the lead on three other occasions.

Themba Zwane, Bafana’s talisman, was unfortunate to see his strike tipped over the bar by Vimalin after some excellent work on the right flank by Khuliso Mudau and Mokwana set up Zwane. Sadly, Zwane was injured shortly afterwards and had to be replaced by Patrick Maswanganyi.

Mokwana was also unlucky not to have opened the scoring in the 24th minute when a defensive lapse allowed him a one-on-one opportunity with Vimalin, but his shot went wide. Bafana defender Rushwin Dortley also saw his header cleared off the line after a well-taken corner by Oswin Appollis.

Just when it seemed Bafana would head into the break with the lead, a momentary lapse in concentration by Dortley and Grant Kekana allowed Congo’s striker Andre Bassouamina to find enough space to equalise in stoppage time.

Congo’s coach, Ngata Isaac, made five changes to the team that was thrashed 5-0 in Gqeberha on Friday, while Broos was forced to make one change, bringing in striker Iqraam Rayners for Lyle Foster, who had been injured in Friday’s match and did not travel to Brazzaville.

Bafana continued to look assured on the ball, maintaining their unbeaten record over 16 matches. As usual, they displayed great combinations on the wings, with Modiba linking up well with Appollis on the left and Mokwana combining effectively with Mudau on the right. However, Congo’s long-ball tactics, coupled with the challenging artificial pitch, caused Bafana difficulties in defence.

Congo began the second half as the stronger side, forcing Bafana onto the back foot. Their pressure resulted in a corner in the 51st minute, which Mudau cleared off the line.

Congo needed a win to keep their hopes of qualification alive and came close to finding a late winner through their captain, Ganvoula Mboussy, but his shot went wide in the final minutes. However, as they pushed for a goal, they left themselves vulnerable to Bafana’s counter-attacks.

Although the result was not entirely satisfactory, Bafana still have a better chance of qualification than Congo. The Congolese must win both of their remaining matches against South Sudan and Uganda to have any hope of overtaking Bafana, who are four points ahead with two qualifiers left to play.