Soccer
─── MORGAN PIEK 07:59 Sat, 12 Oct 2024
Bafana Bafana turned in a dominant performance in Gqeberha on Friday night for their second victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.
South Africa was ruthless as they claimed an emphatic 5-0 win against Congo Brazzaville to move up to seven points in Group K, and more importantly, boosted their goal difference to six.
The under-fire Bethlehem-born midfielder Teboho Mokoena put South Africa on the front foot early in the important qualifier, by opening the scoring in the 12th minute at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
In the 27th minute, the Mamelodi Sundowns star found the back of the net again to complete his brace and double South Africa’s lead.
Bathusi Aubaas added a third goal for Bafana to see the hosts to a 3-0 lead at halftime. Minutes into the second stanza, Lyle Foster got in on the action with South Africa’s fourth goal as they continued where they left off in the first 45-minute period.
Iqraam Rayners then drove the final nail into Congo’s coffin when he scored in the 78th minute. The massive scoreline dramatically boosted Bafana’s goal difference. This will come into play when they travel later in the year to face the log-leading Uganda in the away leg in Kampala.
‘Foster injured his shoulder’
Uganda remained at the top of Group K after they beat South Sudan 1-0 at home.
The win did come at a cost for South Africa as Foster injured his shoulder and will likely miss Tuesday’s away leg in Brazzaville.
The Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos said Mokoena proved exactly why he rates the player so highly and he now hopes that his club, Sundowns, will start playing him more often.
“The progression that Teboho made, let’s say in the last two years, is enormous. He has become a very, very good player,” said Broos.
“Maybe today he was extra motivated to show his coach at Sundowns that it was not right to put him on the bench or not to select him. So, this is what I like. Not words, not talking, just a performance.
‘Today proved why I don’t agree’
“I said a few days ago I have to accept and respect that decision. But I can’t agree. I think today proved why I don’t agree that he is not playing for Sundowns. But okay, this is not our problem.”
Bafana will now travel to Brazzaville where they will face Congo in the equally important second leg. This match at Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium kicks off at 18:00 on Tuesday.
OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg
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