Nigeria crush Bafana's dreams
2008-09-06 17:09
Port Elizabeth - Nigeria crushed South Africa's dreams of reaching the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola with a 1-0 defeat of Bafana in Port Elizabeth at the EPRU Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Coach Joel Santana was true to his word as Bafana certainly began the more dominant side on the day, attacking the Super Eagles' goal with the bulk of possession and the majority of chances.
South Africa started brightly when the first chance of the game fell to Siyabonga Nkosi in the sixth minute after some good work by captain Benni McCarthy. Nkosi's initial shot was well blocked by a defender, and his second was something he will hope to forget as it went well wide, going out for a throw-in. This was to set the tone of the game as Nigeria had to defend for most of the half.
Bafana were forced to shoot from long range as they struggled to breach the Super Eagles' defence. In the 10th minute Kagiso Dikgacoi hit a vicious shot just wide of the right-hand upright with the goalkeeper well beaten. Then in the 21st minute Teko Modise hit a shot from about 35 yards that also skimmed the post.
The best chance of the half, however, fell to Nigeria in the 24th minute when Modise lost the ball in the middle of the park and Yakubu Aiyegbeni provided a defence splitting pass to Ike Uche which put him through on goal with just Itumeleng Khune to beat. Uche hit his shot low and hard, but he failed to find the back of the net as the ball went narrowly wide.
McCarthy had the best chance for South Africa in the 35th minute when he hit a ferocious shot that must have stung the hands of Bamidele Aiyenugba as it took him two attempts to gather it. The skipper led his side in a sustained period of pressure for the rest of the half and Nigeria were glad to hear the half-time whistle.
The second half started the same way the first ended, with Bafana on top in an all-out attack. South Africa began to attack down the flanks and got crosses into the box.
In the 53rd minute a great cross from Nkosi found Siphiwe Tshabalala unmarked at the back post. Tshabalala tried to side-foot the ball into the goal from about six yards out, but he squandered a golden opportunity as he fluffed his shot into the hands of the goalkeeper.
Three minutes later some good build up and a brilliant through ball from Tshabalala found McCarthy unmarked on the left. His cross was met by Nkosi who shot agonisingly wide. In the 63rd minute, again South Africa missed out. Tshabalala got to the by-line, and forced Aiyenugba into a weak palm out. Dikgacoi pounced on the rebound but his goal-bound effort was somehow deflected off a Nigerian defender and out for a corner.
South Africa continued to squander opportunity after opportunity and were made to pay in the 71st minute when Nigeria took the lead completely against the run of play. Ike Uche crushed the hearts of Bafana fans and possibly ended Santana's reign as the South African coach when he turned Mbulelo Mabizela inside out and pulled off a great shot into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
South Africa continued to press forward but without any luck. Aiyenugba stood in their way and pulled off another amazing save in the 75th minute. McCarthy headed the ball on for Nkosi and the goalkeeper somehow put his body between the ball and the goal pulling off a stunning close-range save.
Teams:
South Africa:
Itumeleng Khune, Bradley Carnell, Nasief Morris, Mbulelo Mabizela, Siboniso Gaxa, Macbeth Sibaya (Zuma 77), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Moriri 77), Teko Modise, Kagiso Dikgacoi, Siyabonga Nkosi, Benni McCarthy.
Nigeria:
Bamidele Aiyenugba, Taye Taiwo, Obinna Nwaneri, Danny Shittu, John Utaka, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Chidi Odiah, Seyi Olofinjana, Ike Uche (Akpala 85), Kalu Uche (Obodo 69), Yusuf Mohammed.