Bafana surprise African champs
Zolile Mtshelwane
19 August 2004
Bafana Bafana outplayed African champions Tunisia 2-0 in an international friendly at Al Menzah stadium in Tunis on Wednesday.
In one of their most organised and inspired displays in a long time, Bafana dominated the skilful and hard-running Tunisians from the first whistle. Stuart Baxter's charges fought for every ball and closed down the Tunisians' moves in the midfield, denying supply to the champions' deadly striker, Kaies Ghodhbane.
The midfield quartet of Benson Mhlongo, Benedict Vilakazi, Steven Pienaar and Delron Buckley were the stars of the night, running their lungs out to snuff out Tunisia's patient, and potentially dangerous, build-ups.
In fact, Baxter's midfielders were a marvel to watch. Unlike in previous performances, they had a game plan. Their passing was accurate, and they kept possession as they strung together well-laid passes. Their build-ups were well thought out and effective.
Had it not been for Shaun
Bartlett's erratic shooting - he missed three clear scoring chances in the first half - the scoreline could have been much higher.
Although Bafana's defence is still suspect, they were saved by the fact that Tunisia's moves were thwarted in the middle of the park.
And on the few occasions that Aaron Mokoena, Nasief Morris, Mbulelo Mabizela and Bradley Carnell were caught napping, they were well covered by goalkeeper Hans Vonk - and let off by the Tunisians' wild, frustrated shooting.
Carnell, who played on the left back, and striker Benni McCarthy combined well on the night. On the second minute, Carnell dispossessed a Tunisian player in the middle of the park and laid on a pass to McCarthy.
The Portugal-based striker calmly controlled the ball, shook off two defenders and nonchalantly lobbed the ball over the out-of-position Tunisian keeper Mohammed Zoaubi and into the net.
This goal spurred on Bafana's midfielders, who conducted more raids into
the Tunisians' goal. Bartlett missed three chances in the course of these, while Vilakazi miscued another.
In all these misses, Bafana had completely outsmarted their opponents, forcing Zoaubi to save the situation. The halftime score was 1-0.
In the second half, Baxter rested most of his players for next week's African Cup of Nations and 2006 World Cup qualifiers away game to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He replaced McCarthy with Tyren Arendse, who went on to score Bafana's second goal in the 82nd minute, to make the final score 2-0.
This was sweet revenge for the 2-0 defeat Tunisia inflicted on the South Africans at the same venue last November in the run-up to the African Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia at the beginning of the year. South Africa had a disastrous campaign in that tournament, and were knocked out in the opening round.
Baxter also fielded Lance Davids, Thando Mngomeni, goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez and teenager Jeffrey Ntuka.
Bafana's starting line-up
Goalkeeper: Hans Vonk
Defenders: Bradley Carnell, Nasief Morris, Aaron Mokoena, Mbulelo Mabizela
Midfielders: Steven Pienaar, Benson Mhlongo, Delron Buckley, Benedict Vilakazi
Strikers: Benni McCarthy, Shaun Bartlett.
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