Bafana banish Nigerian bogey
Brad Morgan
18 November 2004
It took Bafana Bafana five attempts to beat Nigeria, but they finally got it right in front of the world's favourite South African, former President Nelson Mandela, in the Mandela Challenge Cup in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Heading into the game, South Africa had failed to score against the Super Eagles in any of their previous matches, but strikes from Shaun Bartlett and Benedict Vilakazi guided the home side to a 2-1 win.
The Nigerians, ranked number one on the continent, were admittedly missing some of their best players, but their line-up was nonetheless an impressive one. That's why Bafana Bafana fans will draw plenty of heart from the South African victory, because it was achieved with some free flowing, imaginative play.
Smoothing passing
In the early going there were plenty of smoothly constructed passing movements, and Shaun Bartlett had a good opportunity to put the home side in front after six
minutes when the in-form Delron Buckley - current joint top scorer in the German Bundesliga, with 10 goals in 13 games – put him through.
Nigerian goalkeeper Greg Etafia responded nicely to the challenge, however, to deny Bafana Bafana's all-time leading goal scorer.
There was nothing he could do in the twenty-third minute, though, when an unmarked Bartlett rose high to power home a header from a corner to give South Africa the lead. It was his twenty-ninth goal for South Africa.
Breathing space
The goal separated the two sides at the break, but 15 minutes into the second stanza Bafana Bafana opened up some breathing space over the Nigerians, who had spent most of the contest playing on the counter-attack, when Orlando Pirates' Benedict Vilakazi beat Etafia.
Vilakazi started the move, charging into the box before exchanging passes with Benni McCarthy and firing home.
South Africa's advantage lasted only two minutes,
though, as the Super Eagles pulled one back through Ayodele Makinwa. He squeezed a shot past Hans Vonk after being set up by Inter Milan star Obafemi Martins.
Strong finish
The Nigerians rarely troubled Vonk after scoring their goal, though, and it was the South Africans who finished stronger as Gift Leremi came on as a late substitute to help drive the Super Eagles back onto the defensive.
From a South African defensive perspective, it was a pleasing performance from coach Stuart Baxter's charges, as they managed to restrict the visitors to mostly shots from long distance.
Although it ended 2-1, Bafana Bafana could have, and probably should have, scored a few more goals, with a number of chances going begging.
However, a first ever win over Nigeria was what captain Aaron Mokoena said he wanted before the showdown, and the fact that he got it will, no doubt, be enough to satisfy the South African team and their
supporters.
That the victory was achieved in front of Madiba made it all the more special.
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