By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe and Kopano Dibakwane
A thrilling AFCON (African Cup of Nations) qualifier encounter between Bafana Bafana and South Sudan left soccer fans screaming for more at the sold-out DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday 19 November.
Bafana Bafana commanded respect from their opponents, with a 3-0 well-deserved victory. The opener was scored by Mamelodi Sundowns goal-wizard, Iqraam Rayners, in the sixth minute. The South Sudan goalie, Majak Maling Mawith, was beaten by a low strike which was the culmination of a buildup of passes from Oswin Apollis and Thapelo Morena inside the box.
Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi took advantage of a mistake by the South Sudan goalie in the 22nd minute, who couldn’t hold on to the ball following a scorching shot from Teboho Mokoena from outside the 18th area. Maswanganyi pelted the ball into the back of the net, giving Bafana Bafana an easy 2-0 lead.
Teboho Mokoena buried South Sudan with the third goal from the penalty spot in the 50th minute. At this stage, the South Sudan squad saw a clear defeat pending and their willpower was evidently depleted.
Bafana Bafana could’ve increased the lead but they missed a number of scoring chances. The victory has secured a spot for the South African senior men’s team in the AFCON tournament to be played in Morocco next year.
Bafana Bafana had an impressive run in the qualifiers by finishing on top of Group K with 14 points and their Coach, Hugo Broos, expressed contentment after the game. Broos and his assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele, as well as the entire technical team, have deservedly won the hearts of South Africans for turning a once struggling Bafana squad into a formidable force in Africa.
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