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| South Africa Reaches ICC Tournament Final for the First Time: A Journey from 'Chokers' to Champions |
On Thursday, South Africa secured a place in the final by defeating Afghanistan by nine wickets in the first semi-final. This victory marks the first time the African team has reached an ICC tournament final, shedding the 'chokers' label that has haunted them for years. The final will be held on June 29 in Barbados. This win in the semi-final is a historic moment for South Africa, as they had previously reached the semi-finals eight times (1992, 1999, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024) but failed to advance. The 1999 match against Australia ended in a tie. Here’s a look at South Africa's journey in the T20 World Cup:
T20 World Cup 2007: Super-8 Exit In the 2007 T20 World Cup, South Africa was eliminated in the Super-8 stage. In their final Super-8 match, India defeated them by 37 runs, securing their spot in the semi-finals. Despite winning both their group stage matches, South Africa managed only two wins and one loss in the Super-8.
T20 World Cup 2010: Another Super-8 Exit In the 2010 T20 World Cup, South Africa reached the Super-8 stage but won only one out of three matches, resulting in their elimination. In their last Super-8 match, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 11 runs.
T20 World Cup 2014: Semi-final Defeat South Africa reached the semi-finals for the first time in the 2014 T20 World Cup but lost to India. In the second semi-final in Mirpur, South Africa scored 172 runs for four wickets in 20 overs. India chased down the target with six wickets in hand, thanks to Virat Kohli's unbeaten 72.
T20 World Cup 2016: Super-10 Exit In the 2016 T20 World Cup, South Africa won two out of four matches in the Super-10 stage but failed to qualify for the semi-finals due to net run rate.
T20 World Cup 2021: Super-12 Exit In the 2021 T20 World Cup, despite winning four out of five matches in the Super-12 stage, South Africa couldn't qualify for the semi-finals due to a lower net run rate compared to other teams.
T20 World Cup 2022: Super-10 Exit In the 2022 T20 World Cup, South Africa's journey ended in the group stage after losing to the Netherlands in their last match. They won only two out of five group matches.
T20 World Cup 2024: Semi-final Victory In the 2024 T20 World Cup, South Africa defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets in the first semi-final, marking their first entry into an ICC tournament final in 32 years. Afghanistan was bowled out for 56 runs in 11.5 overs, and South Africa chased the target in 8.5 overs with one wicket down, becoming the first team to reach the final of the current tournament.
