South Africa's run in the African Nations Championship came to a bitter end after a dramatic 3-3 draw against hosts Uganda at the Nelson Mandela National Stadium in Kampala on Monday night, Cape town Etc reports.
Bafana went into their final Group C clash knowing a win would guarantee progress, while an unlikely favour from Niger against Algeria could have been another route to the knockout stages. Neither scenario materialised, leaving Molefi Ntseki's side eliminated before the quarterfinals.
The contest began cautiously, with both teams struggling to create chances early on. Uganda's first real threat arrived in the 14th minute when Herbert Achayi's strike rattled the upright, sending home supporters into a frenzy. Their persistence soon paid off when Jude Ssemugabi finished off a swift counter-attack just past the half-hour mark, giving the Cranes a 1-0 advantage at the break.