With the other Group B encounter between Angola and Egypt ending 0-0, Hugo Broos’s charges finished second in the group behind the Pharaohs. They will now face either the Ivory Coast or Cameroon in the knock-out stages.
After a few early chances, Bafana opened the scoring in the 7th minute when winger Tshepang Moremi cut in from the right and saw his shot take a wicked deflection which looped over the head of Washington Arubi in the Zimbabwe goal.
South Africa has a few chances to extend their lead, with Sphephelo Sithole heading over from an Oswin Appollis cross that was just a little high for him to connect cleanly.
Zimbabwe slowly made their way back into the encounter and were rewarded when Tawanda Maswanhise danced his way into the box past several South African defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the bottom left-hand corner to make the score 1-1 in the 19th minute.
While South Africa dominated possession, they struggled to put Zimbabwe under significant pressure until towards the end of the half, when Siyabonga Ngezana headed over from a free kick. Then, Sphephelo Sithole could only guide his header straight at Arubi in the Zimbabwe goal, and the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Bafana regained the lead in the 50th minute as Lyle Foster headed home after Zimbabwe allowed the ball to bounce in the area.
The goal came from an innocuous long ball, which a Zimbabwean defender headed back towards goal. Arubi, however, didn’t come to collect quickly enough, and Foster stole in to head home to make the score 2-1.
Maswanhise was a constant threat for Zimbabwe, and he almost levelled proceedings in the 62nd minute as his shot cannoned off the upright with Williams well beaten in Bafana’s goal.
The equaliser did come in the 72nd minute, however, and in bizarre fashion. It was Maswanhise that caused all the trouble again as he was put through on goal. His shot was brilliantly saved by Williams, but his parry hit a retreating Aubrey Modiba and ricocheted back into the net to make it 2-2.
South Africa, however, were given the chance to finally put the game to bed in the 80th minute, when a Zimbabwean defender handled in the area.
Appollis stepped up to send Arubi the wrong way and seal a 3-2 win.