"This team keeps rising and proving their strength" - Fans react as Afghanistan secure a historic victory in 1st ODI against South Africa
Afghanistan shocked the cricket fraternity and fans with their dominant victory in the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa on Wednesday, September 18. They secured a six-wicket victory over the Proteas at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The duo of Fazalhaq Farooqi (4/35) and Allah Ghazanfar (3/20) were sensational in inflicting early damage on the Proteas, reducing them to 36/7 in 10 overs. Nevertheless, Wiaan Mulder (52) carried the team to a total of 106 before they were bowled out in 33.3 overs.
In response, Afghanistan got off to a mediocre start, but sealed the victory in 26 overs. Gulbadin Naib (34*) and Azmatullah Omarzai (25*) were the key run-scorers for the side.
With this result, Afghanistan have beaten the Proteas for the first time in international cricket. Moreover, they have prevailed over all full member sides, except for India, at least once. Fans on X praised the Afghanistan side for their impressive victory and posted:
Fans also lauded Afghanistan for their growth in international cricket and their performances in 2023 World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup.
"HISTORY MADE! For the first time ever, Afghanistan has defeated South Africa in international cricket! What an incredible milestone for Afghan cricket. The team's passion, skill, and spirit have truly paid off. This victory isn't just a win; it's a testament to the growing prowess of cricket in Afghanistan." a fan posted.
"Afghanistan cricket has made incredible strides over the past year! Victories over top teams like England, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa highlight their growth and talent. Exciting times ahead for Afghan cricket!" another tweeted.
"Afghanistan's cricket journey is truly inspiring! Their performances in the 2023 World Cup and making it to the T20 World Cup semifinals show how far they've come. Beating South Africa is another feather in their cap. They're quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with on the global stage!" a fan commented.
"World must start taking Afghans as a serious team, they’ve been so so good since their existence in the cricket," another tweeted.
How has Afghanistan fared in 2024 in international cricket?
Before the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, Afghanistan took part in two 50-over series. They lost 3-0 to Sri Lanka and prevailed 2-0 over Ireland.
Meanwhile, in the T20I format, they squared off against India and lost 3-0, and followed it by losing 2-1 and winning 2-1 against Sri Lanka and Ireland, respectively. They created history by making their maiden semifinal appearance in ICC events at the T20 World Cup 2024. However, they lost to South Africa decisively after getting bowled out for 56 runs.
Afghanistan's much-awaited Test fixture against New Zealand at Noida was unfortunately abandoned due to incessant rain earlier this month.