Thapelo Morena emerged as the hero for Bafana Bafana, scoring a brace after coming off the bench to propel them to a 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe at Toyota Stadium on Tuesday.

This win lifts Bafana Bafana to second place in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, ahead of Benin on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Iqraam Rayners opened the scoring for Bafana Bafana in a whirlwind start, netting within 30 seconds after capitalizing on a Munashe Garanga mistake. However, Zimbabwe responded almost immediately through Tawanda Chisera’s toe-poke finish at the near post, catching Bafana napping from a quick throw-in.

Despite conceding, Bafana Bafana maintained pressure, with Oswin Appollis testing goalkeeper Geodfrey Chitsumba with long-range efforts. Zimbabwe defended resolutely, absorbing the pressure and relying on counter-attacks led by the lively Tawanda Chirewa. Rayners thought he had restored the lead, but the goal was disallowed due to an offside in the build-up.

The second half saw Morena take center stage. In the 55th minute, he capitalized on a Chitsumba error following an Appollis cross from the left flank to put Bafana back in front. Morena added his second goal in the 76th minute, rounding Chitsumba after a superb pass by Appollis again.

Meanwhile, in Durban, Rwanda edged out Lesotho 1-0 thanks to a Jojea Kwizera goal on the stroke of halftime. This result temporarily places Rwanda at the top of the group standings, though Bafana Bafana can reclaim the top spot with a strong performance in their remaining matches.