Afghanistan's journey at the T20 World Cup continues on Wednesday as they face South Africa in the first semi-final at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.
This match will produce a first-time finalist who will face either 2007 winners India or defending champions England, who meet in the second semi-final at Guyana's Providence Stadium on Thursday.
Celebrations in Afghanistan after Monday's Super Eight win over Bangladesh, which secured their passage at Australia's expense, were quickly shut down by the Taliban authorities. More celebrations are expected if Rashid Khan can lead his team to the final by defeating the Proteas.
"I think the semi-final is going to be a massive, massive inspiration for the youngsters back home in Afghanistan," said skipper Rashid Khan. "It's an unbelievable feeling."
Rashid noted that it is fitting they will play at a stadium named after Brian Lara, as the former West Indies great was "the only person who mentioned Afghanistan will be in the semis."
"When you get the kind of great, great statements from a legend, it gives you lots of energy as well," said Rashid. "We are capable -- but as long as we keep things very simple, and in the whole competition so far, we have kept things simple."
South Africa, with a history of stumbling in semi-finals, won the 1998 Champions Trophy. They reached the final four this time with seven wins in seven matches, narrowly beating England, Bangladesh, and Nepal by seven, four, and one run respectively.
"Obviously, most of the games have been a lot closer than we would have personally liked but the amazing thing is that this new Proteas team always seems to get over the line," said left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi. "We've been put under huge pressure in every single game that we've played and the boys have managed to find a way to win no matter what the situation is, no matter how close the game is. That's really pleasing for us as a unit."
Heavyweight contest
India, aiming to win their first major ICC competition since the 2013 Champions Trophy, face increasing pressure on skipper Rohit Sharma. The 37-year-old led with a calm demeanour, scoring 92 off 41 balls on Monday against Australia, resulting in a 24-run win.
Rohit said India "don't want to do anything different" in the semi-final against England. "We want to play the same way, understand what the individuals need to do in a given situation, and play freely. So far we've been doing that consistently, and (in the) semi-finals, we have to try and do the same thing. Nothing changes for us, we want to focus on what we can do as a team, and take the game on."
England, champions in 2010 and 2022, had a slow start with losses to Australia in the group stage and South Africa in the Super Eight. However, they have shown the ability to improve when necessary.
"We have to do our homework and make sure we plan well and try to execute, and then make sure we get to the final," said Chris Jordan, who took a hat-trick in their last game, a win over the USA. "You have to beat the best at some point to win the tournament."
The semi-finals could be affected by rain. If matches are washed out, the higher-ranked team in their Super Eight groups will advance, potentially leading to an India-South Africa final.
(With inputs from AFP)
