Mark Gleeson BBC Sport, Curepipe

Stuart Baxter's South Africa beat Mauritius to win the Cosafa Cup mini-tournament

South Africa beat hosts Mauritius 1-0 on Sunday to win the first Cosafa Cup mini-tournament and qualify for the final competition to be held in August.

Katlego Mphela enhanced his credentials as a future star for Bafana Bafana with the only goal of the game through a 36th minute free-kick.

After beating Seychelles on Saturday, where the France-based striker scored two goals, the experimental South African side again proved their potential with a competent performance against an experienced, and near full-strength, Mauritius line-up.

Mphela drilled home the winner from the edge of the area after a generous free-kick awarded by the Zimbabwean official Tabani Mnkantjo.

But the 19-year-old showed remarkable pace and industry as he tormented the ageing island defence and is certain to receive a call-up for next month's World Cup qualifier against Uganda.

Both teams battled with fitness after a taxing schedule, which saw them playing in atrociously wet conditions 24 hours earlier.

Mauritius had two good chances to take the game but Jerry Louis missed a sitter from close range in the 39th minute after South Africa's goalkeeper Brian Baloyi parried a long-range effort from Desire Periatambee.

In the second half, defender Lucas Thwala cleared off the line from Kervin Godon to rescue Bafana Bafana after Baloyi had flapped at an in-swinging corner.

But Mauritius failed after that to create any clear cut chances as Thwala and Mbulelo Mabizela, back in the national set-up, more than held their own.

Frustration boiled over for the islanders when defender Stephan L'Enfle stamped on the foot of Rowan Hendricks in stoppage time at the end of the game and was sent off.

South Africa will join defending champions Angola and the winners of mini-tournaments in Namibia and Zambia, for the semi-finals and final of the Cosafa Castle Cup over the weekend of 13-14 August at a venue to be decided.