Bafana Bafana’s World Cup dream just
might become a reality, as they took the lead of Group B with a spectacularly
dramatic 2-1 qualifying victory against Senegal at Peter Mokaba Stadium on
Saturday.
In three minutes just
before the break, after absorbing pressure from a classy Senegal, Thulani
Hlatshwayo’s 44th-minute penalty and Thulani Serero’s strike in injury time
made Bafana’s Russia 2018 dream suddenly believable.
Substitute Cheik Ndoye pulled one back for Senegal in the 78th.
Bafana, ranked 62nd, were the underdogs, but Shakes Mashaba’s
men rode the wave of what now appears a very credible turning of the tide in SA
football to run out gutsy winners who can only grow in confidence from this
result as these qualifiers continue.
It has been a long time since Shosholoza has been belted out so
loudly for Bafana in the stands. A good Polokwane home crowd were superb in
their support, and lapped up a nail-biting 90 minutes.
SA, who started with a 1-1 away draw against Burkina Faso, top
Group D with four points with four matches to play.
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has brought around a turnaround since
their 1-1 draw against Bafana at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations where, like SA,
the Lions of Teranga exited in the first round.Senegal won six out of six
reaching the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.Cisse brought an imposing line-up for a
match that the Senegalese knew, if they won, would put them firmly in the Group
D driving seat.
Senegal’s array of players
from top European clubs is staggering. They had the West Ham and Newcastle
giants Cheikhou Kouyate and Mohamed Diame partnering in defensive midfield,
Napoli centreback Kalidou Koulibaly in defence, Everton’s Idrissa Gueye at
playmaker.
Liverpool sensation Sadio Mane, who has six EPL goals at his new
club, was on the right of attack, Lazio’s Keita Balde on the left. The lone Senegalese-based
starter was Moussa Konate at centre-forward.
Stoke City striker Mame Biram Diouf was on the bench.
Pitted against all this Bafana would rely on home advantage and
a strength that Cisse alluded to in the week – that sometimes it is easier to
build a team when you have more local-based players. And the confidence in SA
football right now following Mamelodi Sundowns’ Caf Champions League victory
last month.
In the first 26 minutes Mane had a header flash over and Konate
drove straight at Itumeleng Khune from range.
South Africa had possession but against a team that exuded class
in their touches and build-ups were cautious to commit themselves to the
attack.They grew in confidence and in the 39th Serero’s crossfield pass put
Keagan Dolly through to shoot at goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo.
On a Bafana attack Gueye
handled and Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey pointed to the spot.
Right-back Hlatshwayo’s penalty was well struck low and to the
left – it had to be because Diallo got a touch, but could not stop the goal.The
1-0 scoreline seemed too good to be true. It became 2-0 in added time.
Mpho Makola played in a low
cross that Keagan Dolly passed on to Serero. The Ajax Amsterdam man did not
expect the ball and attempted a throughpass that fooled everyone, and rolled in
past stranded Diallo.The 2-0 deficit made Senegal dangerous coming out of the
change rooms, because now they had licence to throw all their class forward.
Bafana needed to invoke the
spirit of Sundowns’ grind in the Alexandria second leg of the Caf final against
Zamalek, and fight for everything.Konate should have done better gifted a free
header in the 58th.
But SA were still dangerous
in attack, Dolly stretching and missing after being teed up by Serero.Diouf, on
for Konate, should have buried a free header in the 73rd.
Senegal finally did get one
back, as first Diouf’s shot was blocked by Makola, then another by Khune,
another substitute Ndoye finally burying the goal, setting up an unbearably
tense final 10 minutes.
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