South Africa (Bafana Bafana) were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Niger in their 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) Group C match in Kampala on Friday night. The result leaves qualification for the quarter-finals on a knife-edge, with South Africa remaining on five points, level with Algeria and just one point behind leaders Uganda.

• Key Incident: South Africa were denied two penalties in the first half after lengthy VAR reviews by Moroccan referee Bouchra Kerboubi.
• Team Performance: Murfy Ntseki’s South Africa controlled possession and created chances but could not break down Harouna Doula’s resilient Niger defense.
• Niger's Impact: Despite being eliminated from the competition, Niger secured a point, showcasing strong defensive organization after two previous defeats.

The race for the two quarter-final spots in Group C of the CHAN 2024 Championship is delicately poised with three matches remaining. Uganda, Algeria, South Africa, and Guinea are all still in contention.

• Uganda's Cranes lead the group with six points and a +2 goal difference, needing a draw against South Africa on August 18 at Mandela National Stadium to guarantee qualification.
• Algeria is second with five points and a +5 goal difference, facing Niger on August 18 at Nyayo Stadium.
• South Africa (four points, +1 goal difference) must first beat Niger on August 15 before their decisive match against Uganda.
• Guinea, also on four points but with a -1 goal difference, is in a more precarious position as their group matches are complete.

The race for the Group C quarter-final spots at the CHAN 2024 Championship will go down to the wire on August 19, 2025, after Niger’s Menas drew goalless with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana. This result leaves Uganda, Algeria, and South Africa in contention, while Guinea and Niger face uphill battles.

• Uganda Cranes need only a draw against South Africa on August 18 to qualify.
• Algeria, with five points, are strongly tipped to progress, facing bottom-placed Niger.
• Guinea and Niger have slim mathematical chances, requiring multiple unlikely outcomes to qualify.