It was a birthday to forget for Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki, whose charges seemingly had the game in the bag at 3-1 up in the dying embers of the match, but fate had other ideas in the 96th minute.

The Cranes created the first real chance on the counterattack against the run of play. There was good interplay amongst the forwards and Karim Watambala twisted and turned in the box, letting loose a shot that took all of South African gloveman Samukelo Xulu's skill to deflect past the right-hand post.

But the hosts didn't have to wait long for the opening goal. Another counterattack streaked down the left flank and put Patrick Kakande in space, whose superb one-touch cross found Jude Ssemugabi. The striker's deft touch nutmegged Xulu and sent the Kampala crowd into raptures.

South Africa almost levelled matters when a Keegan Dolly cross deflected off a defender and forced a reflex save from Cranes goalkeeper Joel Mutakubwa.

In the second stanza, Bafana scored two goals in quick succession to snatch the lead. First, a goalmouth scramble resulted in defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele toeing the ball into the back of the net. The officials initially called it offside, but the Video Assistant Referee disagreed, and the visitors finally had a goal to show for their dominance.

Six minutes later, Uganda's defence was caught napping as South Africa took a quick throw-in to release the predatory instincts of Thabiso Kutumela, who tapped the ball past a sprawling Mutakubwa.

South Africa almost made it three when Keagan Dolly was one-on-one with Mutakubwa, who made a fine save to keep the Cranes in the contest. And how telling that save turned out to be.

With seven minutes to go, Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo thought he'd wrapped up the game when he scored a stunner. Dolly collected a through-ball and Mutakubwa came charging out but found himself in no-man's land. He set up Ndlondlo, who put a delightful 35-yard chip over the hapless defenders and into the top corner.

While the goal triggered a flurry of Ugandan supporters to begin their journey home, they soon came rushing back. Three minutes later, the Cranes were awarded a penalty following a high boot from defender Kegan Johannes that sent an attacker flying. Ugandan star Allan Okello stepped up and buried it.

And the Cranes' luck continued. VAR intervened once again after a wayward shot struck a South African defender on the elbow and another penalty was awarded. All 193cm of Rogers Torach stepped up to the plate and drove the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to give Uganda the draw they needed to advance to the quarterfinals.

Jose Peseiro defends Victor Osimhen's AFCON contribution