SA beat Malawi to claim Plate crown

South Africa beat Malawi 5-4 on penalties (0-0 after extra time) in the 2019 Cosafa Cup Plate Final at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday evening.

Following 120 minutes of football without a goal, the winner would be decided by the dreaded penalty shootout.

Jerome Dickens squandered a chance to win it for Bafana Bafana following successive misses by the Flames, but after successful kicks by Reeve Frosler and Teboho Mokoena in sudden death the pressure mounted on Malawi.

Charles Petro duly missed the decisive kick, pushing his attempt onto the crossbar to seal Malawi's fate and hand Bafana Bafana the Plate title.

The Flames started the game the better of the two teams and Mondli Mpoto was forced into a good save to keep out Gerald Phir Jr's free-kick from bulging the back of the net with 14 minutes on the clock.

South Africa hit back with chances of their own and Kamohelo Mahlatsi was only denied the game's opener by the woodwork in the 36th minute.

Grant Margeman then teed up Luther Singh with a pin-point cross six minutes later, but the forward could only succeed in guiding his header attempt wide of goal.

The first chance of the second half fell to the hosts in the 74th minute.

Liam Jordan's free-kick was too hot for the Malawian goalkeeper to handle, allowing Mahlatsi a chance on the rebound, but he could only succeed in scuffing his attempt wide of goal.

The best chances continued to fall for Mahlatsi in extra-time, who found himself in a pocket of space inside the area in the 107th minute, but the forward again failed to take hit the target.

With no goal forthcoming, the game would be decided from the spot and for the second time in two games, Mpoto emerged as the hero.

South Africa (0) 0

Malawi (0) 0

South Africa won 5-4 on penalties.

South Africa: Mpoto; Cupido (Mohamme 35'), Dlala, Mahlatsi, Links, Margeman (Mokoena 84'), Singh (Dickens 102'), Mukumela, Jordan, Malepe, Frosler.

Malawi: Munthali (Kakhobwe 118'); Sanudi, Petro, Cholopi, Mhone, Idana (P. Banda 76'), Mbulu, Phiri (C.Chirwa 61'), Mango, Samband, J.Banda