SECOND half strikes by substitutes Lennox Bacela and Oupa Manyisa sent Angola packing and set South Africa a tantalising semi-final clash against hosts Zimbabwe in the Cosafa Castle Cup on Monday.

Fielding a team averaging 20 years, with only two experienced players in Manqoba Ngwenya of Mamelodi Sundowns and Joseph Makhanya of Orlando Pirates, South Africa dominated the Angolans from start to finish before a Barbourfields crowd which included thousands of school children in uniform who have been let in for free during the tournament.

For all their superiority, South Africa struggled to convert their advantage into goal in the first period. The South Africans thought they had a case for a penalty when Ngwenya went down in the box after 25 minutes, but their appeals were waived away by the referee.

The Angolans then had their short spell, Luachia finding more space on the left side and whipping in crosses which his teammates took turns to miss.

Makhanya -- full of running on either flanks -- tested the goalkeeper Mano with a long range shot which sailed over the bar in the 41st minute.

Wayne Matle then had the best opportunity four minutes after the breather from a free kick on the edge of the box, but his delivery was a shade too high over Mano’s goal.

The South Africans, commanding most of the support from the crowd warming up for Zimbabwe’s clash with Botswana in a later kick-off, continued to turn the screws, and were rewarded five minutes after an hour of football.

Makhanya was upended just after the centre line and he picked himself up to send a long ball which looked harmless. But with the goalkeeper in no hurry to rush and cut out the ball’s path, Bacela emerged popped up and hopefully diverted the ball over the keeper, leaving the Angolan defence yelling at each other.

Three minutes later, the Angolans almost drew level when Amaro had an opportunity from a dead ball situation, but curled his effort wide.

But it was South Africa who surged ahead in the 82nd minute after a powerful run by Manyisa.

Picking up the ball from Makhanya, he attacked the Angolan goal with intent, slalomed past two defenders and drew the keeper out before finding the bottom left corner.

South African defender and the crowd’s favourite Warren Bishop was named the man of the match by the sponsors.

South Africa
J Mokhasi, W Bishop, G Shitolo, K Wolff, S Mahlangu, W Matle, M Manyambela (L Bacela 46th min), M Nyanda, J Makhanya, O Manyisa (G Lebese 94th min), M Ngwenya (R Ramudzuli 76th min)

Angola
Mano, Massinga (Vado 64th min), Laucha, Fabricio (Paty 31st min), Lambito, Tchiwe, Debele, Amaro, Dany (Amancio 74th min), Zezao, Jose

COSAFA Castle Cup Senior Men's Challenge 2009

GROUP A - HARARE
Fixtures & Results
October 17
Zimbabwe 3-0 Mauritius

October 19
Lesotho 2-2 Zimbabwe

October 21
Mauritius 0-1 Lesotho

(Zimbabwe through to quarter finals)

GROUP B - BULAWAYO
Fixtures & Results
October 18
Comoros 0-0 Botswana
Swaziland 2-1 Seychelles

October 20
Botswana 1-0 Swaziland
Seychelles 1-2 Comoros

October 22
Swaziland 3-0 Comoros
Seychelles 0-2 Botswana

Quarter Final Draw
October 25 - HARARE
Malawi 0-1 Mozambique
Namibia 0-1 Zambia

October 26 - BULAWAYO
South Africa 2-0 Angola
Zimbabwe 1-0 Botswana

Semi Final Draw
October 28
South Africa vs Zimbabwe - HARARE

October 29
Mozambique vs Zambia - BULAWAYO

October 31 - BULAWAYO
3rd and 4th Play-Off
Loser Semi-Final 1 vs Loser Semi Final 2 (1500hrs)

November 1 - HARARE
Final
Winner Semi-Final 1 vs Winner Semi Final 2 (1500hrs)