Substitute Benedict McCarthy scored twice in the second half as South Africa beat fellow World Cup qualifier Turkey 2-0 on Thursday to win Hong Kong’s Reunification Cup soccer tournament.
The Turks had more possession of the ball in the first half but could not break down the tight South African defence. South African captain and defender Lucas Radebe put up a solid performance.
Turkey’s captain Hasan Sukur, who plays for the Italian club Parma, impressed the spectators with his footwork but was closely marked by the South Africans.
Striker McCarthy had replaced Siyabonga Nomvete in the 56th minute and netted with the first touch of the ball three minutes later.
The Turks pressed forward in an attempt to equalise, leaving their defence open and McMarthy notched up his second goal in injury time with a low drive.
South Africa had advanced to the final with a 2-0 victory over Scotland in the opening round on Monday.
The Turks also beat the Hong Kong League XI 2-0 on Monday in the four-team tournament, which was first held to mark Hong Kong’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
The Hong Kong team was made up of top players from the local league.
In the World Cup, Turkey will play in the same preliminary group as four-time champion Brazil, China and Costa Rica.
The South Africans have been drawn in the group with Paraguay, Spain and Slovenia.
Earlier, Scotland trounced the Hong Kong League XI 4-0 to finish in third place.
Kevin Kyle netted in the 22nd minute and Steven Thompson added another in the 36th minute to give Scotland a 2-0 lead at halftime.
The Scots continued to dominate in the second half, with skipper Christian Dailly increasing his team’s lead with a header in the 50th minute. Scot Gemmil made it 4-0 in the 71st minute with a simple shot from close range.
It was Scotland’s first victory under new coach Berti Vogts. – Sapa-AP