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Beach Bafana in Fifa semis
05/07/2007 18:05 - (SA)
Durban - South Africa kept their legion of fans on tenterhooks until the final three minutes before two quick goals secured the Beach Bafana a 7-5 victory over Cape Verde Islands and a place in the semi-finals of the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2007 Qualifier in Durban on Thursday.
The win means South Africa now face Nigeria in the semi-finals on Saturday and know they will have to lift their game for what is probably South African beach soccer's most important match. Victory over Nigeria will not only mean a place in the final, but also clinch a ticket to the World Cup finals in Rio in November. Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal meet in the other semi-final on Saturday.
In earlier matches Nigeria proved their pedigree with an emphatic 10-6 win over Senegal to top Pool B, while at the other end Egypt clinched a last-second 7-6 thriller to edge Cameroon for the final place in the pool.
As expected Cote d'Ivoire thrashed Mozambique 8-2 to confirm their status as the top team in Pool A.
With the winner earning a place in semi-finals and the loser relegated to a playoff for fifth and sixth it was predictable that the South Africa v Cape Verde islands match would be close and tense ... and with only one goal in it for the majority of the game it was inevitable tempers would fray.
- SAPA
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