Themba Zwane found the net twice in the opening 16 minutes of the first half, propelling South Africa to a resounding victory over Namibia and securing their initial points in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Percy Tau, who had a missed penalty in Bafana Bafana’s initial defeat against Mali, initiated the onslaught with an early penalty.
Zwane, connecting with Thapelo Morena’s cross, delivered a powerful finish and added his second with a skillful clip after a dynamic run into the box.
The fourth goal came from substitute Thapelo Maseko, as Lloyd Kazapua struggled to handle his strike from Teboho Mokoena’s long ball.
Both teams are assured a spot in the last 16 if they emerge victorious in their decisive matches for the knockout stage on Wednesday (17:00 GMT).
South Africa will face Tunisia, and Namibia will meet Mali. The Brave Warriors can secure automatic progression by surpassing the result of the 1996 champions, while either nation retains hope of qualifying among the four best third-placed teams if they narrowly miss out on the top two positions.
Swaggering South Africa off mark in style
Forward Tau seized an opportunity for redemption after referee Youcef Gamouh penalized Riaan Hanamub for a handball while defending against a Morena delivery. This decision came after a VAR check.
Morena executed an impressive run down the right, cutting the ball back for Zwane to extend the lead. The 34-year-old then calmly added his second from close range, completing a dazzling first-half attacking display. Morena had a curling effort tipped over, and Sphephelo Sithole missed a free header in front of goal.
Namibia had initially taken an attacking stance, with Prins Tjiueza forcing a fourth-minute save from Ronwen Williams. Hanamub, one of 10 players from the underdog squad playing in South African club football, played a ball through the legs of Mothobi Mvala to set up Absalom Limbondi with the score at 1-0. However, the midfielder sent his shot over the crossbar despite the goal being wide open.
Shortly afterward, Hanamub delivered another cross that captain Peter Shalulile, a feared striker for the South African top-flight team Mamelodi Sundowns, could not connect with.
The pace of the match decelerated in the second half, as South Africa opted to adopt a more defensive approach against opponents who lacked decisiveness.
Under Hugo Broos’ guidance, the players secured the most substantial win in their country’s Afcon finals history, marking the widest margin of victory in any of the 24 matches played at the 2023 edition thus far.
The sole instance of a four-goal victory in the 2021 tournament occurred during the group stage when Tunisia triumphed 4-0 over Mauritania.