Bafana Bafana’s Nigerian hoodoo struck for a sixth time when Nigeria beat South Africa 1-0 in a tense, hard-fought 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier played at the Erpu Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Bafana have not beaten the Super Eagles in six competitive matches, in which they have also failed to score against the Nigerians. The result ends Bafana’s slender hopes of reaching the next phase of qualifying for the 2010 continental showpiece in Angola.
Bafana’s last Group Four match away to Equatorial Guinea is academic. The win confirms the Super Eagles as Group Four winners and their place in the next qualifying round for 2010.
Bafana put up a brave fight and deserved better. Nigeria should have come off second best, but Bafana learnt for the umpteenth time that no matter how well they play, it is goals that win matches.
To be fair, this was Bafana’s best performance in Group Four. But if ever there were glory or honour in defeat, it was here at the Erpu cabbage patch.
The atmosphere was electric. The Port Elizabeth fans were magnificent. They cheered their heroes every time they had the ball. But Nigeria defended brilliantly and never cracked under pressure, showing what a class side they are.
Bafana played Nigeria off the park in the one-sided first half — this despite Bafana head coach Joel Santana’s negative starting line-up where he opted for two defensive midfielders in Macbeth Sibaya and Kagisho Dikgacoi and captain Benni McCarthy as the lone striker.
It was obvious that the Super Eagles, who had already won the group, were content to go through the motions.
Bafana, roared on by the near-capacity 20 000-plus crowd, did what was expected of them by taking the initiative and the game to the more fancied Nigerians.
In fact, so in control were the home side in the opening first half that goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune had only one save — from a free kick from Taye Taiwo in the 43rd minute.
For the remainder of the game, it was Bafana in command. Siyabonga Nkosi gave Bafana fans early hope with a shot that flew past the post after six minutes. The home side piled on the pressure. Teko Modise hit wide in the ninth and 21st minutes, and in between Dikgacoi missed the target.
But it was Nigeria who missed the best chance of the first 45 minutes when Ike Uche, with only Itumeleng to beat after he had earlier ballooned his 25th-minute shot well over the Bafana crossbar. A minute later, Itumeleng easily dealt with a shot from the same Super Eagles midfielder.
Nigerian goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba made a couple of good saves in the 29th and 35th minutes from Dikgacoi and McCarthy respectively.
Nkosi, who was a livewire playing behind McCarthy, was unlucky when his shot four minutes from half-time from a Bradley Carnell free kick went wide.
Bafana left wing Siphiwe Tshabalala failed to connect a superb cross from Nkosi eight minutes after the restart.
Then it was heart-break time for Nkosi when his volley from Tshabalala’s pin-point cross shaved the paint off the woodwork of the upright in the 57th minute as Bafana went for the jugular.
Dikgacoi’s rocket was deflected for a corner in the 63rd minute. Modise’s cross-cum-shot in the 68th minute had Aiyenugba well beaten but it was another chance that went begging.
Bafana paid the penalty a minute later when Uche silenced the home crowd with a well-taken goal in the 69th minute, completely against the run of play.
Nigeria’s Israel-based goalkeeper Aiyenungba was in the thick of the second-half action and again came to the rescue with a top-class save from Nkosi in the 75th minute.
To their credit, Bafana never gave up and fought a losing cause right to the final whistle. They gave the country hope that their form will keep improving leading up to next June’s Confederation Cup, the dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup finals. — Sapa