Bafana Bafana made heavy weather of subduing a lacklustre Costa Rica 2-1 in a disappointing Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup clash played at Olen Park on Saturday.
There was no score at halftime.
The game rarely got out of neutral. The South Americans, who are ranked 19th in the world by world controlling body Fifa, looked anything but a first rate side. They were never in this match and even their goal was an own goal from Bafana’s World Cup star Aaron Mokoena.
There was little for the capacity 17 000 crowd to enthuse over in an uninspiring first 45 minutes that saw little action. The visitors showed far too much respect to Bafana who in turn failed to capitalise on the possession and territorial advantage they enjoyed.
Bafana were ahead on the possession stakes but the hosts struggled on the unsuitable small pitch. Bafana were unable to use their wingers Japhet Zwane and Jabu Pule to any effect. Russian based Zwane was substituted two minutes from halftime by Stanton Frederick.
The Costa Rican goalkeeper Adrian de Lemos had the busier first half. He did well to get a hand to a dangerous shot from Pule in the third minute. Bafana’s veteran keeper Andre Arendse did not have to make a single save through the match.
The Costa Ricans, who brought a second string side, did not look interested in attacking the Bafana goal. They relied on a few breakaways and set pieces to put the home defence under pressure.
Bafana striker Patrick Mayo wasted a rare chance to score in the 44th minute when he picked up the ball from a terrible back pass from defender Alexander Castro. But the Kaizer Chiefs striker tamely struck his shot straight at De Lemos who had little difficulty in dealing with the power puff strike.
The best shot of the half was a 40-metre free kick from Bafana midfield star John ”Shoes” Moshoeu a minute from the break, De Lemos did well to get behind Moshoeu’s well struck long range effort.
There was little urgency showed after the break by either side. But Bafana did at least try and make a game of it by keeping the initiative and kept going forward and at the end deserved their win.
A Moshoeu free kick went centimetres wide of the Costa Rico upright in the 71st minute. Bafana were doing all the attacking with the South Americans content to sit back and soak up the pressure.
The game did manage to spark four minutes later when Moshoeu initiated Bafana’s goal. Moshoeu cut the ball from the left to Italian based Siyabonga Nomvete who did well to turn and hammer home the opening goal.
For the first time in the match Costa Rica showed some urgency. They were helped by an unfortunate own goal from Belgium based defender Aaron Mokoena who headed Alonso Solos’ cross and deflected the ball past keeper Andre Arendse who had the Costa Rican striker shot well covered.
But the setback seemed to inspire the hosts who showed a lot of character by taking the remaining minutes of the match by the scruff of the neck and were rewarded when Mayo made it 2-1 with a clinically taken shot after he was set up by live wire Nomvete to make it 2-1 in the 87th minute. – Sapa