Bafana win big against Chad
Brad Morgan
4 June 2007
Bafana Bafana scored their biggest win since South Africa returned to international soccer 15 years ago when they thrashed Chad 4-0 in an African Cup of Nations qualifier in Durban on Saturday. It put an exclamation mark on the team's 200th match since its return to the international stage.
The victory also improved South Africa's position at the top of its qualifying group. Carlos Alberto Parreira's charges now have 10 points from four matches after recording three wins and one draw. They also possess a very healthy goal differential of plus-eight, having scored eight goals and conceded none.
Chad's hopes of avenging their 3-0 loss to SA in N'Djamena were all but erased before the game started when a pay dispute led to a number of their top players pulling out of the match and failing to arrive in South Africa.
Early lead
Playing in a surprisingly cold Durban, Bafana Bafana took an early lead when Nasief
Morris netted for South Africa after 13 minutes. It came from the penalty spot after Sibusiso Zuma, who tormented the Chad defence throughout the match, was fouled by the goalkeeper, Bouba Mamadou.
Morris admitted afterwards that it had been a nervous moment for him. He said he had been practicing his spot kicks in training and he was chosen before the contest to take a penalty, should one be awarded. It was the Panathinaikos defender's first international goal in 22 outings.
Zuma doubled the advantage 10 minutes later with a sweet first-time volley from a cross by Delron Buckley.
Grabbed his second
The Arminia Bielefeld star grabbed his second and South Africa's third after 33 minutes when he outpaced two defenders before rounding the goalkeeper and putting the ball into the back of the net.
At halftime, Bafana Bafana led 3-0.
After the match resumed, the home side showed less of a cutting edge, preferring, it seemed, to
play a game of possession. However, the introduction of Benedict Vilakazi and Siyabonga Nomvete, in place of Papi Zothwane and Surprise Moriri, helped lift the tempo once more.
Nonetheless, it took some individual brilliance for Bafana Bafana to score again, with Elrio van Heerden providing the spark as he beat five players down the right before crossing for Siyabonga Nomvete, who netted from close range.
Next up
Next up for Bafana Bafana lies another African Cup of Nations qualifier away to Congo. Victory over the Congolese would go a long way towards ensuring South Africa's qualification for the 2008 finals of the tournament in Ghana.
After its win over Chad, South Africa lies three points clear of second placed Zambia, who defeated Congo 3-0 in Lusaka at the weekend. The match was blighted by the loss of 12 fans' lives; they were crushed to death as they tried to leave after the game to catch free rides on buses.
Congo is
five points off the pace, while Chad, who have yet to score a point, is out of the running.
Dropped points
When Bafana Bafana faced Congo in Johannesburg in September, the teams played to a goalless draw, the only time that SA had so far dropped points in its qualifying campaign.
Zambia, with a home game against Chad, seem almost certain of taking the three points on offer for a win, but a victory for Bafana Bafana away to Congo, on a bumpy pitch, is anything but a given.
Midfielder Godfrey Sapula, the PSL Player of the Season, and Borussia Dortmund's Steven Pienaar appear likely to miss the game through injury and few changes are likely to the squad, according to SA coach Parreira.
Again, one of the big questions ahead of the match is whether or not Benni McCarthy, second in the English Premier League goal scoring charts this past season, will end his international exile and return to duty for Bafana Bafana.
With or
without the star striker, however, a South African win would be a huge step towards securing the team's place at the African Cup of Nations finals.
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