It was another struggle, but Bafana Bafana picked up their second win, as they beat ten man eSwatini 1-0 in their Cosafa Cup game at the Wolfson Stadium in Gqeberha.
Stand-in coach Morena Ramoreboli made one change to the team that Botswana on Tuesday, with the goalscorer from the Botswana win, Kagiso Malinga, coming in for Thabang Sibanyoni.
And it was Malinga who had Bafana’s first attempt at goal, albeit a highly ambitious long range attempt in the 18th minute that went wide.
While both teams showed intent, there was not too much action in the final third in the first half, though Ethan Brooks did get a rare chance in the 38th minute, but his shot was always off target.
Felix Badenhorst had a shot for eSwatini in the 43rd minute, but his free kick attempt went wide.
Just before halftime Badenhorst, eSwatini’s captain, was shown a second yellow card and his team were reduced to ten men. It remained goalless at the break.
Justice Figueiredo almost put eSwatini into the lead in the third minute of the second half, but Bafana’s captain Veli Mothwa pulled off a great save to deny the former Maritzburg United player.
Khethokuhle Mkhontfo went close in the 52nd minute, but his well struck header from a corner went just wide of the goal.
Substitute Sibanyoni, who had replaced Masilake Phohlongo, put Bafana into the lead, with a well struck shot in the 59th minute.
Despite being down to ten men, eSwatini kept threatening to equalise, and Sabelo Ndzinisa had a good chance in the 78th minute, but once again Mothwa made a comfortable save.
Two minutes later Sibanyoni had another chance for Bafana, but he couldn’t get over the ball and his header was off target.
Substitute Yusuf Maart tried a long range shot in the 85th minute, but it was straight at goalkeeper Ncamiso Dlamini. Two minutes later a last ditch save from Dlamini denied Malinga, as he saved at his feet, while in the 88th minute Bafana had a penalty call turned down, despite a clear handball by Bonginkosi Mkhwanazi in the box.
Dlamini made the save of the game in the 90th minute, as he denied Maart, while on the other end Promise Dlamini missed a golden opportunity to equalise, as he failed to get his head to the end of a good cross.
Bafana pick up their second win, once again by a 1-0 margin.
Meanwhile in the earlier game of the day, Lesotho bounced back from their defeat to eSwatini, to beat Zambia 2-1. Milutin Sredojevic’s team took the lead through Justin Shonga in the 29th minute, but Motebang Sera equalised for Lesotho the 70th minute. Sera grabbed his second and the winner two minutes from time.
