In a clinical display, South Africa dismantled Afghanistan for a mere 56 runs, securing a dominant nine-wicket win in the opening Twenty20 World Cup semi-final held in Trinidad on Wednesday. This victory propels the Proteas into their inaugural final. South Africa, historically underperforming in short-format World Cup semi-finals since 1992, showcased their prowess by dismantling the Afghan batting lineup within 12 overs at the Brian Lara Stadium, limiting their opponents to their lowest T20 international score. Despite occasional batting struggles in the tournament, South Africa's Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram smoothly reached the target in under nine overs after Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed Quinton de Kock early. Markram expressed his delight, acknowledging the support from home and the relief this win brings. Afghanistan, fresh from a dramatic win over Bangladesh, chose to bat first but faced early setbacks as Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada dismantled their top order. Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi further crippled the Afghan innings, making them the first team to score under 100 in a T20 World Cup semi-final. Despite the bleak outcome, Afghanistan's resilience was evident, and their bowlers challenged the South African batsmen. Fazalhaq Farooqi, the tournament's leading wicket-taker, dismissed de Kock, but Hendricks and Markram cautiously steered their team to victory, extending their winning streak to eight matches. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan reflected on a challenging night but took pride in their journey to the semi-finals, believing it marks the beginning of greater achievements for his team.