The victory saw the South Africa national football team finish second in Group B, behind the Egypt national football team, who played to a goalless draw with theAngola national football team.
As a result, Zimbabwe national football team ended bottom of the group and exited the tournament.
South Africa struck early and took control after just seven minutes.
Tshepang Moremi fired a shot that deflected off Divine Lunga and looped over goalkeeper Washington Arubi. The deflection left Arubi stranded and gave Bafana Bafana an ideal start.
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As a result, South Africa played with confidence. However, Zimbabwe responded with composure and discipline.
Zimbabwe equalised through a moment of individual brilliance from Tawanda Maswanhise.
The winger skipped past several defenders before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner. The strike ranked among the standout goals of the group stage.
Consequently, Zimbabwe finished the first half on the front foot and pressed for a second goal.
South Africa regained the lead five minutes after the restart. Burnley forward Lyle Foster reacted fastest to a flicked header and beat Arubi to the ball. The goal marked his second of the tournament.
Nevertheless, Zimbabwe refused to fade. The coaching staff introduced three substitutes to inject energy. Shortly after, their pressure paid off.
A save from Ronwen Williams rebounded off defender Aubrey Modiba and crossed the line, restoring parity.
The decisive moment arrived late in the match. Oswin Appollis converted from the penalty spot after captain Marvellous Nakamba handled the ball inside the area. The referee awarded the penalty following a VAR review.
From there, South Africa managed the closing stages well and protected their narrow lead.
The win secured South Africa’s place in the knockout rounds of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Next, Bafana Bafana will face the runners-up from Group F. Their potential opponents include the Ivory Coast national football team, the Cameroon national football team, or the Mozambique national football team. The round of 16 match will be held in Rabat on Sunday.
For Zimbabwe, the defeat confirmed another early exit from the tournament.
Despite showing attacking intent and resilience, the Warriors have yet to progress beyond the group stage in six Africa Cup of Nations appearances.
