A Cosafa Cup semifinal of mixed emotions and vacillating form ended in heartbreak for Bafana Bafana at the Mmabatho Stadium on Saturday when Zambian goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene completed an unusual double to edge his team into Sunday’s final against Zimbabwe via a 9-8 advantage in the deciding penalty shoot-out.
After trailing 0-2 at half-time with a desultory, disorganised exhibition of soccer that suggested they were heading for a clear-cut and embarrassing defeat before the paltry, 3 000-strong crowd, Bafana fought back valiantly to level the score at 2-2 and take the game into a tense, protracted penalty decider.
Indeed, when Supersport United’s Phil Evans took Bafana’s fifth penalty, needing only to place the ball in the net to record a truly amazing recovery, his shot rebounded fatefully off the cross bar.
And Bafana had no answer to the heroics of Mweene, who converted Zambia’s ninth penalty goal and then saved a shot from substitute Craig Bianchi to seal the issue.
There was an element of ordained justice to Zambia’s triumph and the manner it was achieved, with Bianchi lucky not to concede a penalty following a wild tackle in the 73rd minute with the game in the balance at 2-2.
Bafana started as though the players had been introduced to each other minutes before the kick-off — not surprising after the late selection of the team — and Zambia might have scored twice before James Chamangwa opened the score in the 16th minute after Bafana goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez parried, but could not hold Linos Chalwe’s 20m free kick.
Zambia continued to dominate the first-half proceedings against a lacklustre Bafana and increased their lead in the 23rd minute with a goal of clinical perfection from Chris Katongo following a deft, immaculate flick pass from Chamangwa.
Bafana gave an indication of their second-half transformation when Benedict Vilakazi’s shot hit the post shortly before half-time and Rene Richards failed to score with the goal at his mercy 60 seconds later.
The gangling Lungisani Ndlela paved the way for the Bafana revival in the 62nd minute with a well-taken goal on the run, and Abraham Raselemane had the Zambians dismayed and distressed when he equalised from close range following a lengthy Peter Petersen throw-in five minutes later.
Bafana finished the game with 10 men when Petersen was injured in the 70th minute after the mandatory three substitutions had been made.
But Bafana held on grimly and seemed to have weathered the storm when the game went into the penalty shoot-out — only for luck to turn cruelly against them in the end.
Zimbabwe surprised holder Angola with a 2-1 win in the first semifinal on Saturday, with all the goals coming in the second half. — Sapa