Bafana make it three in a row
Brad Morgan
16 October 2008
Bafana Bafana made it three wins in succession when they scored a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Ghana in an international friendly in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening. "We had another good game," coach Joel Santana said afterwards.
The Brazilian felt all parts of the South African team performed well. He said the defence was "secure", the midfield "creative", and the strikers, Benni McCarthy and Bernard Parker, did what they are supposed to do and scored.
'A good feeling'
Captain Aaron Mokoena felt the victory showed character as it was the second match in four days for his team. "I thought we did especially well defensively and had nice combinations in the middle of the park," he commented. "It is always a good feeling to win games, no matter who you play."
Ghana's line-up lacked some of the Black Stars' biggest names, but it was still a tough test for Bafana Bafana, who were good value for their 2-1 win.
The visitors were the first to fire a shot in anger five minutes into the contest when Agyemang Badu let fly, but his effort flew high and wide.
Sounded a warning
Benni McCarthy almost immediately sounded a warning when he just failed to meet a cross from Tsepo Masilela. The Blackburn striker again came close five minutes later, but was robbed of the ball by a good tackle.
McCarthy then got onto the end of a cross from Teko Modise, but he headed over the crossbar. Veteran MacBeth Sibaya, playing in his first game against the Black Stars, forced a save out of Ghanaian goalkeeper Fatau Dauda.
South Africa continued to create more chances than Ghana, but no reward was forthcoming. Appeals for a penalty for a handball were turned down and Modise hit a shot on goal high before a strike by McCarthy was blocked.
Goal
After 37 minutes, against the run of play, Ghana took the lead through Yaw Antwi. An error by SA keeper Brian Baloyi left Antwi with a simple tap-in.
It angered the Bafana Bafana players because the goal had come from a Ghanaian goal kick after the referee missed seeing a Ghanaian player taking the ball across his own goal line, which should have resulted in a corner for SA.
Two minutes later, however, the home side was celebrating when they drew level through McCarthy. He got on to the end of a sharp pass from Modise and netted with precision for his 31st goal for South Africa.
Right on halftime Modise came within inches of giving Bafana Bafana the lead. He blasted a shot from 35 metres. It had the beating of Dauda, but struck the woodwork and stayed out.
Unconvincing
Brian Baloyi on his return to the national team wasn't looking too convincing in the South African goals so Jonathan Quartey tested him with a long-range effort 10 minutes into the second stanza, but the Mamelodi Sundowns' keeper held onto it without any problems.
Siphiwe Tshabalala then forced Dauda to palm the ball away for a corner from a free kick on the edge of the area after Modise had been upended.
Antwi sent flutters through the stomachs of Bafana Bafana supporters shortly afterwards when he found himself in space, but his shot was straight at Baloyi.
Substitutions
Coach Santana made a couple of substitutions for South Africa, one of which was to pay off handsomely a little over 10 minutes later: Kagiso Dikgacoi came on for MacBeth Sibaya and Bernard Parker replaced Siyabonga Nkosi.
Parker then made the breakthrough with a powerful near post header from a corner. It continued a rich vein of form for the Thanda Royal Zulu striker.
The match played itself out with South Africa, on the balance of play, deserved winners.
Good for morale
After the disappointment of missing out on the African Cup of Nations, three wins on the trot will do wonders for the confidence of the South African team and its fans. True, Malawi, Equatorial Guinea, and a below-full-strength Ghana team are not world beaters, but wins are good for morale and, in international football, winning is the bottom line.
No doubt Bafana coach Joel Santana is sleeping a little better at night now. There remains plenty of work to be done before the Fifa 2010 World Cup, but the national team, at last, appears to be moving in the right direction.
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