It was victory in defeat as Bafana Bafana qualified for the semifinals of the Confederations Cup despite losing 2-0 to group winners Spain in a thrilling final Group A fixture played at a packed Free State Stadium on Saturday night.
Bafana finished runners up to Spain in the group with four points and will play Group B winners, which are likely to be Brazil, at Ellis Park on Thursday night. The other group A match between Iraq and New Zealand ended 0-0 at Ellis Park.
Spain finished with nine points, Bafana four, Iraq two and the All Whites go home with a point. Iraq needed to win to stay in the competition but they failed to score in all three matches and also return home.
Bafana regained a lot of pride despite losing to the European champions.
South Africa showed their fans that they have improved and deserve their place in the semifinals.
It was a record breaking night for Spain who notched their 15th consecutive win and equalled Brazil’s record of 35 unbeaten matches.
It looked liked a mission impossible for the 72nd ranked South Africans from the kick-off but the home fans and players never gave up in a first half that slowly saw Bafana emerge from their more experienced and skillful opponents’ shadows and rise to the occasion.
The South Africans played their hearts out by taking on the Spanish giants and refusing to show them respect in first half, which had the near capacity crowd of 39 000 on their feet and believing that they might just see one of the biggest upsets in modern soccer.
It was classic David and Goliath stuff and the partisan crowd were loving it. But it was Spain who were able to move up a gear after the break.
Bafana birthday boy Itumeleng Khune, who turned 22 on Saturday, played a blinder.
He pulled off what was to be his most important save of his young career when he dived full stretch to palm away a 20m pile driver from Liverpool’s Albert Riera after a short free kick from Xavi in the fourth minute.
Bafana’s first chance came from a Teko Modise free kick that sailed over the crossbar in the 18th minute. Four minutes later Liverpool striker Fernando Torres forced Khune to save his shot at the near post as the Spanish star was looking odds-on favourite to get the opening goal.
Then Khune blocked another Torres shot and from the loose ball crowd favourite Matthew Booth booted the loose ball out of danger.
Bafana’s Everton midfield star Steven Pienaar carved two chances in the 38th and 40th minutes for hard running Bernard Parker and Modise. Parker rushed his shot — which went wide — while Modise’s effort inched past the upright.
Valencia’s David Villa came close three minutes from the interval when his shot sailed over the Bafana crossbar.
The second half exploded into drama and controversy after Spain were awarded a penalty when Chilean referee Pablo Pozo ruled that Bafana skipper Aaron Mokoena had fouled Arsenal and Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas inside his penalty area in the 51st minute. Khune made a fantastic save from Villa’s spot kick but more drama was to follow a minute later when Villa put Spain 1-0 up.
The Bafana players claimed the Spanish striker handled the ball before scoring but the referee allowed the goal to stand.
It was frustrating for the South African players who had worked so hard to contain the mighty Spanish Armada. But to their credit Bafana refused to go down without a fight and the fans encouraged them until the final whistle.
Parker headed a cross from never-say-die right back Siboniso Gaxa in the 77th minute as the home side tried to claw their way back.
But the better equipped and more experienced Spanish players took control and ended Bafana’s resistance in the 72nd minute when substitute Fernando Llorente made it 2-0 from a goal-mouth melee after another superb free kick from master craftsman Xavi of Barcelona.
Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina of Liverpool did well to deny Parker a goal in the 84th minute with a first-class save.
Bafana substitute Katlego Mashego had the ball in the back of the net late in injury time but the goal was ruled offside. – Sapa