Bafana Bafana rout Namibia, but not out of the woods yet
22/01/2024
Bafana Bafana rout Namibia, but not out of the woods yet
South Africa’s senior men’s soccer side, popularly known as Bafana Bafana, dusted themselves off and tried again after falling prey to the Eagles of Mali in their opening Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) match. Hugo Broos’s men trounced Namibia 4-0 in a match that was a must-win for the South Africans.
A Bafana Bafana team boasting eight Mamelodi Sundowns players in the starting line-up understood the importance of victory against neighbours Namibia. They came into the match still licking their wounds after 2-0 licking by Mali, which came on the back of Broos’s troops being extremely wasteful.
Against the Brave Warriors there were no such troubles. Percy Tau’s penalty set the tone, as he atoned for his miss from the spot against Mali. South Africa were handed the opportunity to take the lead early in the first half.
This time there was no rugby-esque penalty from Tau. He stepped up, took a breath and calmly struck the ball low and hard to beat Namibian goalkeeper Lloyd Junior Kazapua.
South Africa’s blitzkrieg continued as they played some enterprising football to which the Brave Warriors had no answer. Sundowns 34-year-old playmaker Themba Zwane – who seems to be ageing backwards – was the most impressive of the bunch.
His brace just before halftime ensured Bafana were cruising. The 3-0 score at the interval was the first time that goal-shy South Africa had scored more than two goals in a game since a 4-0 win against Sierra Leone in September 2022.
Another Sundowns star, Thapelo Maseko, came off the bench to add the icing on the cake with 15 minutes of regulation time remaining.
The winger latched onto a long-range pass by Masandawana teammate and midfield general Teboho Mokoena, sprinted towards goal and managed to squeeze his shot past Kazapua and make it 4-0. Game. Set. Match.
The victory added to the sports-induced gees that South Africans were already revelling in following the heroics of South Africa’s mixed martial arts darling Dricus du Plessis, who became the country’s maiden Ultimate Fighting Championship title holder after edging former middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
The win also means South Africa are second in Group E, and one point behind group leaders Mali. The Eagles have four points, one more than Bafana. Namibia are also on three following their shocking win against Tunisia in their opening Afcon match.
“We knew that we had to win this game, in order to have a chance of going [through to the round 16]. So, we were a bit nervous in the beginning of the game,” said Broos, whose side now turns their attention to Tunisia for the final group-phase dance.
“A good win. Important for the goal difference. And now we have a boost of confidence for the game on Wednesday, against a very strong opponent. An opponent that has to win that game also. We will prepare the team very well. Let’s hope we are ready,” said Broos.
Player of the match Zwane added: “We know that it is not over yet. It’s going to be a difficult one against Tunisia. We are going to analyse them properly and come with a plan. We know that we definitely need to win in order to qualify.”
South Africa and 2004 African champions Tunisia tussle on Wednesday, with kick-off at 7pm South African time, the same time as Mali versus Namibia. DM
1024x768_france-antoine-dupont-and-fabian-galthie-oct-2023-jpg Fabien Galthie’s men went into the global tournament as one of the favourites but they were ousted in the last-eight. Les Bleus suffered a 29-28 defeat to the Springboks as they were eliminated at their home World Cup by the eventual champions. It was a similar story to 2019, ...
See Details: Antoine Dupont still hurt by 'injustice' of World Cup loss to Springboks
China’s New Aircraft Carrier Begins Catapult Testing Testing of the catapults on the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian has begun. This is an important step forward in the construction of this ship, which is set to be the first carrier in the People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, that launches aircraft ...
See Details: China's New Aircraft Carrier Begins Catapult Testing
Aircraft Downed Inside Russia By Patriot System: Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force has now confirmed that a number of Russian aircraft shot down back in May over their own territory were indeed destroyed by a foreign-supplied Patriot air defense system. The possibility that Ukraine’s newly acquired Patriots may ...
See Details: Aircraft Downed Inside Russia By Patriot System: Ukrainian Air Force
Exiled Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov delivers a speech during a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on April 20, 2022 in Brussels. Fedorov on Monday said Ukrainian partisans blew up a car with pro-Russian fighters inside over the weekend. A car with Chechen soldiers fighting ...
See Details: Car With Pro-Russian Fighters Blown Up by Resistance: Exiled Mayor
This year, a complex mix of insecurity, poverty and misgovernance has seen instability soar in Sahel. Among the immediate effects is a rise in forced and voluntary migration from the region to other parts of Africa and towards Europe, which is difficult to contain. According to Médecins Sans Frontières, 2023 ...
See Details: Europe and African nations must find effective common ground in dealing with migration influx
Springbok lock opts not to renew contract with URC team Rugby World Cup-winning lock RG Snyman has opted not to extend his stay at Munster beyond the current season. This week, it was revealed by Munster that Snyman would seek new horizons once his deal with the Irish Province expires. ...
See Details: Springbok lock opts not to renew contract with URC team
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: Antoine Dupont STILL hurt by ‘injustice’ of Rugby World Cup loss to Springboks
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: Rubber stamping NHI Bill will have damaging consequences for SA for generations
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: Inside horrific conditions Hamas hostages suffered including losing 15lbs in 50 days
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: After the Bell: SA’s NHI healthcare disaster starts right here
Pravin Gordhan’s deathly legacy: A threat to SA’s economic future In the corridors of power, where decisions shape the destiny of nations, one man has emerged as front runner for the dubious honour of being the architect of South Africa’s economic chaos – Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, at ...
See Details: Gupta-linked development land for sale
A senior Volkswagen executive involved in a global cost-cutting strategy said on Friday, 24 November, he was “very worried” about the future of the company’s operations in South Africa, which ... Read more »
Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, who was famously shown to have a shorter shelf life than a lettuce, has effectively backed Donald Trump ... Read more »
Standard Bank treasonous? We're literally helping to keep the lights on says CEO Bruce Whitfield speaks to Lungisa Fuzile, Standard Bank SA CEO. Standard Bank is one of 28 banks ... Read more »
Israel, Hamas agree to extend truce for two days; Musk ‘would like to help rebuild Gaza’ The UN said many people in Gaza still had no food or cooking fuel ... Read more »
Mamelodi Sundowns’ former coach, Pitso Mosimane, dismissed the African Football League Jingles shared his opinion and compared it to the CAF league and said that it was a mere tournament ... Read more »
Take note of these N3 road works between Westville and Paradise Valley The N3 between the Westville viaduct and Paradise Valley interchange will be partially closed to traffic for the ... Read more »
UKZN medical student bags 2023 Health Excellence Rising Star Award Durban — One of the country’s most progressive young minds in the medical field, fifth-year University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) medical ... Read more »