Siyanda Xulu will be proud of South Africa’s “dream” Africa Cup of Nations campaign no matter what happens in their third-place showdown with DR Congo.
Bafana Bafana will go head-to-head with the Leopards in Abidjan on Saturday evening with a bronze medal at stake, disappointed not to have made it to the final but happy to have come so close.
Hugo Broos’ men made it to within touching distance of the showcase game on Wednesday evening before eventually going down 4-2 on penalties to Nigeria after a 1-1 extra-time draw in the last four.
Defender Xulu told a press conference: “We had our own goal as a team. We wanted to go as far as we could.
“We know very well of our quality and especially from the coach who is one person who has always believed in us as a team.
“To go this far was our objective. Reaching the semi-final is a dream. Yes, we wanted to take it home, but we couldn’t, but we can be proud of the performance.”
South Africa’s campaign started in unpromising fashion when they went down 2-0 to Mali in their opening game, but they emerged from Group E as runners-up and dispensed with World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and Cape Verde before meeting their match in Nigeria.
Broos admitted the game would represent a mental battle for both teams.
He said: “We played a very good game against Nigeria. It was a great performance and we showed that we are a great team again.
“When you exit after 120 minutes, it’s always a huge disappointment. When you play so well, the disappointment is so big.
“The game tomorrow is special. It depends a bit on which team will be mentally recovered because also for DRC, it was difficult to lose like that.”
DR Congo’s chances of making it to the final were ended by a 1-0 defeat by hosts Ivory Coast, and they will head into the play-off having won only one of the six games they have played to date inside 90 minutes after drawing all three of their Group F Fixtures and beating Egypt on penalties in the last 16.
Defender Dylan Batubinsika said: “We have a mixture of feelings with the elimination, but our ambition is to go and get this medal.
“We have to stay mobilised to at least finish in third place.”
NB: Catch the exciting third-place playoff between South Africa and DR Congo on Sportsmax and the Sportsmax app.
Moyes to leave West Ham at end of season
West Ham have confirmed that David Moyes will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.
It comes after reports on Monday that former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui agreed a deal to take over from the Scot.
Moyes, who has overseen 260 games so far during his two spells with the club, guided West Ham to their first European trophy since 1965 when they beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in 2023.
In a club statement, Moyes said: “I have enjoyed four and a half brilliant years at West Ham, and the club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019.
“When I joined West Ham for a second time, the club was one place above the relegation zone, and it has been a terrific journey to have achieved three consecutive seasons in Europe.
“I would like to thank all the players for their support, and all the success they have achieved over the last four and a half years.
“I have really enjoyed working with everyone at West Ham, and I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to manage this great club.
“I wish my eventual successor, the directors, the players, the staff, the fans, and everybody at West Ham, all the very best for the future.”
This season, Moyes has come under increasing pressure after a poor run of form, including a 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea on Sunday.
However, after saving West Ham from relegation in both stints at the club, first between November 2017 and May 2018 and then from November 2019, Moyes has overseen three successive European campaigns.
With two games left of the campaign, Moyes boasts a record of 111 from his 260 matches, with a win percentage of 44.7 per cent in all competitions over both spells in charge.
Ten Hag hits back at Mourinho dig over Man United board backing
Erik ten Hag has hit back at Jose Mourinho after the former Manchester United manager said he did not get the same level of support as the Dutchman.
Mourinho, who spent two and a half years in charge of United, suggested in an interview with the Telegraph that he did not have the same backing in the transfer market, or the same level of "trust" instilled in him as Ten Hag.
The former Ajax manager recently spoke to Sky Sports about failing to sign stars like Harry Kane, with the club instead choosing to invest in younger players with potential, like Rasmus Hojlund.
Ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at the club with just one year left on his contract following a disappointing second campaign. New co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has given no guarantees that he will keep his post next season.
Now, Ten Hag has responded to Mourinho’s claims, stating that the Portuguese coach was the only manager after Alex Ferguson to be given backing by the board.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ten Hag said: "Apart from Mourinho, the manager didn't get the players they wanted, and that is what you need.
"I am confident we will achieve our goals, but it is a tough competition. It is not a two-horse race anymore.
"There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] who all go for the title, who all have very good squads. So if you want to go to the title, you have to construct that squad."
PSG not obsessed with scoring twice against Dortmund - Luis Enrique
Paris Saint-Germain lost their Champions League semi-final first leg 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund last Wednesday, but that does not mean they will go all out to score twice in the return game, manager Luis Enrique said on Monday.
The Ligue 1 champions overturned a one-goal deficit against Barcelona in the quarter-finals, winning 4-1 in the second leg, but PSG are prepared to take the game with Dortmund to extra time if that is what is needed.
"The aim isn't to win by two goals, but to win, if you think you have to score two goals, that seems like a big target," Luis Enrique told a press conference ahead of Tuesday's game in Paris.
"We just want to play and score. If we score in the 89th minute, it will carry on. We don't need to score right away, we just want to win the game.
The Spaniard wants his side concentrated on all aspects of their game, not only in attack, and a goal from the Germans won't be the end of the world.
"You could score twice in two minutes, but you could also concede a goal," he added.
"We have to be 100 per cent focused on attack and defence. If we concede a goal, it is not serious, we have to stay calm. If we score twice very quickly, our opponents will have to react.
"It will be an even game with a high level of play on and off the ball, so it will be tough for both teams."
Since last week's loss, Luis Enrique has declared on more than one occasion that PSG will win the return game, saying: "That is the only sentence I know in French, 'on va gagner' we are going to win.
"It is a sentence I like, and I always think my team will win, so that is what I say."
PSG have home advantage for the second leg, and Luis Enrique has no doubt that the Parc des Princes will once again be a driving force for his team.
"I think the role of the fans will be vital, as it has been throughout the season," the manager said.
"We have a total guarantee that the fans will be fully behind us as they have been all year, particularly when we need them, and this isn't a normal thing.
"We will all be together, and I hope we can celebrate a victory and a place in the final."
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