The result, the first victory for DRC against South Africa in five meetings, takes them joint-top of Group B with seven points while the visitors, who went to Kinshasa as kings of the castle, drop down to fourth with Burkina Faso third on a better goal difference.

Bafana never looked under threat despite the intimidating and vocal Congolese crowd who packed the Stade Des Martyrs to the rafters. If anything, Bafana could have wrapped up the match in the first half but woeful shooting seemed their downfall. The referee did not help matters when he denied the visitors what appeared a legitimate penalty on 12 minutes.

However, it was the arrival of Musasa, who is yet to play league football for his SA club Kaizer Chiefs this season, and Mbala at the start of the second half that swung the match the other way, as Bafana struggled to regain the form that saw them torment the hosts in the first half.

With two minutes on the clock, Mbala stole the ball from Neil Winstanley in the far left and raced past the Sundowns defender then leaving Mabizela for dead before slotting the ball into the goal area for Musasa to power DRC ahead. Bafana never recovered from that moment, as there was very little time to do so.

In reality South Africa had been on the back foot since the start of the second half and should count themselves lucky to go down by a single goal. DRC realised they had their visitors on the ropes and never stopped attacking.

Musasa came close with a long ranger on 62 minutes, a shot that nearly troubled Hans Vonk who spilled the ball and was lucky there were no DRC players around the box to finish off the loose ball.

Then Mabizela came to the rescue on 72 minutes to sweep the ball from the underneath the boot of Musasa in the box to give away a corner. The corner provided the Simba with another attacking opportunity and they almost put the ball past Vonk only to be denied by an alert Steven Pienaar with a clearing headed from the goal line.

Two of DRC’s most prominent and perhaps dangerous players, Lomana Lua-Lua and Shabani Nonda did not make the line-up for various reasons. While England-based Lua-Lua did not show up, Nonda was there only to watch from the stands due to a groin injury.

However, the DRC, who were chasing shadows for the better part of the first half, relied heavily on their South African-based trio of Cyrille Kitambala, Bageta Dikilu and Tsholola Tshinyama.

Prior to the match Bafana coach Stuart Baxter had bitterly complained about the decision by world football controlling body Fifa to allow referees from neighbouring Burundi to handle the match.

An early indication that Bafana would not have it easy in the over-crowded Martyr Stadium was when the referee turned a blind eye on what appeared to be a clear penalty when Benedict Vilakazi was tripped in the box by Dikilu on 12 minutes.

Bafana, nevertheless, did not sit back as they flooded DRC with attack after attack. The first effort happened after only three minutes but Vilakazi’s shot was not powerful enough to trouble the host keeper. Then on 18 minutes Tottenham defender Mbulelo Mabizela drilled a long shot to Benni McCarthy on the left but the FC Porto striker could not put enough power behind the shot with the keeper easily collecting.

A minute later Bafana attacked through the middle, perhaps their best chance of the half, with Vilakazi playing a quick through ball to McCarthy, whose shot only shaved the outside of the lower upright much to the relief of the intimidating DRC crowd.

At this stage it appeared a one-way traffic with Bafana clearly in the driving seat with the only problem being their inability to make their chances count for goals. McCarthy put Vilakazi through on 25 minutes but the Orlando Pirates playmaker was a little too hesitant allowing the DRC defence to clear.

DRC did have a chance on 31 minutes following a great build-up with Marcel Mbayo setting up Herita Ilunga, who fired his shot just above goal.

The introduction of Tyren Arendse, who scored on his Bafana debut against Tunisia, in place of Steven Pienaar on 90 minutes was of little significance as the DRC had secured the points.

Teams:

Democratic Republic of Congo: 1-Pascal Kalemba; 12-Papy Kimoto (B Mbala 46), 15-Herita Ilunga, 2-Cyrille Mubiala, 13-Dikilu Bageta, 6-Mutamba Milombo; 4-Tshinyama Tshiolola, 14-Ngasanya Ilongo, 11-Marcel Mbayo (Mputu 83); 10-Alain Kaluyituka (Musasa 46), 17-Gladys Bokese

South Africa: 1-Hans Vonk; 2-Neil Winstanley, 3-Bradley Carnell, 4-Aaron Mokeona, 5-Mbulelo Mabizela; 6-MacBeth Sibaya, 15-Benedict Vilakazi, 10-Steven Pienaar (Arendse 90), 18-Delron Buckley (Van Heerden 74), 14-Siyabonga Nomvete (Mngomeni 75), 17-Benedict McCarthy

Referee: Jean-Marie Hicuburundi (Burundi).