CHAN: South Africa fought until the end against Uganda – Ndlondlo

South Africa midfielder Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo has discussed their fixture against Uganda which ended their TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign at Nelson Mandela Stadium on Monday.

In a game that Bafana Bafana needed a win to qualify, it was the hosts Uganda, who clinched a historic place in the last eight after a pulsating 3-3 draw in front of 34,194 fans.

The result, coupled with Algeria’s 0-0 draw against Niger in the other Group C fixture, ensured the Cranes advanced as group winners for the first time in their CHAN history, while South Africa’s campaign ended in heartbreak.

“Thank you very much. It’s difficult to explain the result of the game, but we knew it wouldn’t be an easy match. We were playing the decisive group game, the one that would determine qualification. We fought until the end,” Ndlondlo, who won the Man of the Match award, said as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

“The crowd was on their side, but we also had to push ourselves and fight until the final whistle. However, the outcome ended up being dictated by some of the decisions we made on the pitch, things that were beyond our control. We did what was within our reach and gave everything.”

He added: “I think what happened was a moment of fatigue and a lack of concentration. It was during that spell that we conceded the second goal and then the rest followed. These are situations that neither I nor the team could control. Now we just have to accept the result.”

Meanwhile, South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan said he was very proud of the way the players represented the country and their families, and he added that they should hold their heads high after giving their all on the pitch.