Bafana held to draw by Socceroos
Brad Morgan
10 February 2005
South Africa and Australia played to a 1-1 draw at Durban's Absa Stadium on Wednesday night in a soccer match that, had it been decided on points, would have gone in favour of the South Africans. Despite the disappointment of the draw, Stuart Baxter's team put on a good show.
Bafana Bafana began strongly, taking the game to the Socceroos, and after eight minutes came close to taking the lead when Australian defender Tony Popovic, nearly netted an own goal while trying to deal with a cross from Cyril Nzama.
SA take the lead
Three minutes later, though, South Africa did hit the front. Midfield star Steven Pienaar provided a pinpoint cross to Shaun Bartlett in the penalty box. The Charlton Athletic man neatly chested the ball down to Benni McCarthy, and McCarthy finished it off with a left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
It was McCarthy's twenty-fifth goal for South Africa - just three short of leading
Bafana goalscorer Bartlett.
Australia nearly levelled after 33 minutes when Brett Emerton beat Cyril Nzama down South Africa's left flank before running in on goal. It took a good double save from Calvin Marlin to keep the Socceroos off the scoreboard.
At halftime the rain came down and, although it didn't dampen the spirits of the crowd, it certainly affected the game on the field.
Lost the edge
South Africa lost the edge they had shown in the opening stanza, and just couldn't find the killer goal that would have doused the Australian challenge.
Shaun Bartlett had a header early in the half stopped on the goalline, while Emerton came close for Australia with a screaming shot that flew narrowly by the upright.
The PSL's leading goal scorer, Sandile Ndlovu of Dynamos, earned his first cap in the sixty-ninth minute when he came on for Bartlett. Three minutes later, though, the striker had to watch the Aussies equalise at
the other end of the park.
Sweetly struck equaliser
Substitute Scott Chipperfield reacted fastest to a half-clearance from the South African defence and struck a sweet shot into the top of the South African net, giving goalkeeper Calvin Marlin absolutely no chance of stopping the strike.
Ndlovu had a chance to steal the thunder on his debut when he broke clear in injury time, but his shot hit the side netting, leaving the honours even.
SA coach Stuart Baxter commented afterwards: "I thought in the first 30 minutes we showed the potential that South Africa can offer to world football, but we lost our shape and concentration after that. But it was a good exercise."
Australia's coach, Frank Farina, also felt disappointed, but put a positive spin on the result. "Any time you can get a draw away from home, you take it", he said.
For South Africa, Benni McCarthy stood out up front, while midfielders Steven Pienaar, Quinton
Fortune and Benedict Vilakazi also caught the eye.
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