The big freeze for Bafana Bafana in recent times continued in Reykjavik on Wednesday night when Iceland recorded an emphatic 4-1 win over South Africa in what was billed as a warm-up for next month’s critical World Cup qualifying game against Burkina Faso.
Warm-up or not, the defeat provided South Africa with nothing but cold comfort for the fateful trip to Burkina Faso, with coach Stuart Baxter left with an assortment of headaches after neither the South African nor the overseas-based players on view could make any sort of redeeming impact.
South Africa suffered one of its biggest defeats since the ban by Fifa from international competition was lifted 13 years ago and this against a team who are ranked 92nd in the world against Bafana’s 39th.
The cohesion that Bafana were seeking was more evident in the ranks of the hard-working, diligent Icelanders and it was not undeserved when they opened the score in the 25th minute with a well-placed goal from Gretar Steinsson. Bafana were on level terms within three minutes when a shot from Benni McCarthy was blocked and Delron Buckley nipped through the defence to score with a close-range, angled shot.
Chelsea star Eidar Gudjohnson proved a constant thorn in the side of Bafana and he initiated the movement from which Arnar Vidarsson restored Iceland’s lead in the 42nd minute.
Bafana lost captain Aaron Mokoena through injury in the first half to add to their woes and Baxter brought on the lanky Lungisani Ndlela and Phil Evans for McCarthy and a limping Buckley — but all to no avail.
If South Africa looked inferior to their opponents in the opening period, they were simply overrun in the second half and might well have suffered a bigger defeat than that reflected by the final scoreline.
As it was, Heider Helguson (65th minite) and Veigar Gunnarsson (72nd minute) knocked the final nails into Bafana’s coffin and the prolific-scoring Gudjohnson came tantalisingly close to scoring twice as well.
”It was only a friendly and not a train smash,” said one South African official, but he could have fooled many who watched the game in view of what lies ahead in Burkina Faso. – Sapa