The talented Thalente Mbatha once again popped up in the right place at the right time as his stoppage time winner saw Bafana Bafana pick up three points from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan on Tuesday.
Just as he had done last week against Uganda, Mbatha came on as a second half substitute and came up with the goods to spare Bafana Bafana’s blushes against South Sudan, ranked 169th in the world.
Hugo Broos’ men looked like they had settled for a point as everything they threw at the hosts was kept out of the goal. But with time running out, Mbatha found himself in the edge of a crowded South Sudanese box and smashed the ball into the back of the net.
While the scoreline suggests the game was a classic, it was anything but, and South Africa’s dominance should have ensured a comfortable win. However, that was not the case.
After a quiet start, the game came to life when Sipho Ngezana pulled down South Sudan’s Tito Okello in the box, leading to the referee to award the spot kick and issue the South African defender a yellow card.
Striker Okello made no mistake with the penalty kick and put the ball behind debutant Sipho Chaine in the Bafana goal.
South Sudan’s lead lasted less than two minutes, however, as a ball by captain Themba Zwane found Oswin Appollis, who buried the ball in the net from close range to level the scores. That was Appollis’ first goal for the national team.
Appollis then nearly turned provider when he sent in a cross from out on the left wing as the South Africans looked to take the game by the scruff of the neck. The cross found Lyle Foster, but the Burnley man’s header was easily collected by Majak Mawith in the South Sudan goal.
Bafana should have gone ahead towards the end of the first half, but Thapelo Morena’s shot, after some brilliant play down the left from Aubrey Modiba, was kept out, first by a South Sudan defender’s arm, and the rebound by the cross bar.
But minutes later, Appollis was not denied when he was alert and put the ball in the back of the net for his second after Foster’s shot was kept out by the crossbar.
The hosts soon found themselves back level out of nowhere when some comical defending by the South Africans saw Valentino Yuel put the ball past Chaine to make it 2-2.
Teen sensation Relebohile Mofokeng, having come on as a substitute for Appollis, almost put South Africa in front in the 75th minute, but had to watch his shot at goal after patient build-up go agonisingly wide.
In the end, it was up to Mbatha to once again deliver the good with another late goal, this time the winner, after last weekend’s stoppage-time equaliser against Uganda.
IOL Sport