OWN CORRESPONDENT, Riyadh | Friday 6.00am.
RECALLED goalkeeper Andre Arendse made a series of superb saves as South Africa forced a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on Thursday to win the Afro-Asian Nations Cup.
Bafana Bafana (The Boys) successfully defended a 1-0 first-leg lead in the biennial play-off between the African and Asian champions despite fielding a virtual second-string team.
European club commitments and injuries meant only captain and defender Mark Fish and midfielders Joel Masilela, Eric Tinkler and Ivan McKinley remained from the starting line-up in Cape Town 12 days ago.
Saudi Arabia, who lost to Cameroon in the first Afro-Asian Cup final, sprang a surprise by bringing back veteran striker Sami al-Jaber and he fluffed one good chance before being substituted in the second half.
But it was Arendse, from English Second Division club Oxford United, who stole the show at the King Fahd Stadium on a humid evening in the Saudi capital.
He played only because first-leg star John Tlale failed a fitness test and grabbed the chance in his first appearance since the 1997 Confederations Cup in Riyadh.
Arendse pushed away a first-half shot from Nawaf al-Temyat and sprinted off his line to foil Fahad al-Mehalel before having his head bandaged after colliding with a team-mate.
When Saudi Arabia were awarded a last-minute free kick just outside the penalty area, he rescued his team again by pushing a cunningly-struck Hussein Sulimani shot over.
Opposite number Mohammed al-Deayea was seldom troubled until injury time when substitute Delron Buckley twice came close to snatching victory for the South Africans.
Bafana Bafana succeed Cameroon, South Korea, Algeria, Japan and Nigeria as holders of the Afro-Asian Nations Cup and the next final will feature Iran and Egypt. — AFP