OWN CORRESPONDENT, Vosloorus | Saturday 7.00pm.
AMAGLUG-GLUG, South Africa’s under-23 soccer team, finished strongly to defeat Guinea 3-1 at Vooloorus Stadium in an Olympic Games qualifying match on Saturday.
Siyabonga Nomvete scored twice and Daniel Matsau once for the home team, who led 1-0 at half-time, and Sambegou Bangoura was on target for the West Africans.
Victory lifted South Africa to the top of the standings with four points after two matches, Cameroon have three, Ghana one and Guinea none. Cameroon host Ghana in Yaounde on Sunday.
Nomvete from famous Johannesburg club Kaizer Chiefs opened the scoring after 17 minutes by taking the ball across defender Maurice Camara before unleashing a shot that flew over goalkeeper Fode Toure.
It was the only one of 10 first-half attempts at goal that found the target as the teams spoilt some impressive build-ups on an excellent surface with unimaginative finishing.
Guinea were more aggressive from the start of the second half and levelled in the 47th minute when Sambegou Bangoura headed in a corner from impressive French-based playmaker Pascal Feindouno.
South Africa appeared to be running short of ideas when Matsau put them ahead again after 70 minutes, racing on to a Steve Lekoelea cross and heading past Toure at his near post. Nomvete clinched the three points eight minutes later as slack marking allowed him to pick up a Stanton Fredericks pass and lob the ball into the net.
Qualifying matches are restricted to players born on or after January 1 1977 and the three group winners qualify automatically for the finals. The best runners-up face the Oceania champions for another place. — AFP