Afghanistan achieved a historic milestone by securing their first-ever win over South Africa in international cricket, triumphing by six wickets in a match held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
A brilliant bowling display, led by Fazalhaq Farooqi and 18-year-old sensation Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, was instrumental in dismantling South Africa’s batting lineup.
South Africa, after opting to bat first, found themselves in deep trouble early on, courtesy of Farooqi’s fiery spell. The left-arm pacer claimed the wickets of Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram quickly, followed by the dismissal of Tony de Zorzi. Ghazanfar then wreaked havoc on South Africa’s middle-order, dismissing Tristan Stubbs and debutant Jason Smith for ducks in the same over. South Africa collapsed to 36/7, with Ghazanfar also removing Kyle Verreynne, while Andile Phehlukwayo fell to a run-out.
A resilient half-century from Wiaan Mulder (52) and a useful contribution from Bjorn Fortuin (16) pushed South Africa’s total to 106 all out in 33.3 overs. However, the score proved too low to challenge Afghanistan.
Despite a few early setbacks, Azmatullah Omarzai (25) and Gulbadin Naib (34) guided Afghanistan to 107/4 in 26 overs, completing a historic chase and sealing Afghanistan’s first win over South Africa in six attempts across all formats.
This victory is especially significant for Afghanistan, who now have beaten all major cricketing nations except India and Nepal (having played just one match against Nepal). The win is a redemption of sorts, as Afghanistan had been bowled out for 56 by South Africa in the semi-finals of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Brief Score:
- South Africa: 106 all out in 33.3 overs (Wiaan Mulder 52, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4/35, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar 3/19)
- Afghanistan: 107/4 in 26 overs (Gulbadin Naib 34, Azmatullah Omarzai 25, Bjorn Fortuin 2/22)
