BAFANA Bafana were held 1-1 by Mozambique in their opening game of the Cosafa Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Wednesday night.
South Africa scored first, but were then pegged back in the second half and the game remained level until fulltime, with both sides taking a point each.
Cape Town Spurs defender Rushwin Dortley broke the deadlock for the home side in the 39th minute following a fairly Bafana-dominated first stanza.
The central defender found himself in the box after a set-piece and somehow was left unmarked when receiving an Ethan Brooks pass, and he did well to compose himself before slotting past goalkeeper Acaio Muendene.
The visitors needed the half-time break to try and engineer any attacking potential, and they were rewarded in the 64th minute as they found the equaliser.
Forward Chamito Alfandega fired a low rocket past Bafana goalkeeper Mondli Mpoto to put his nation back in the game.
The youthful exuberance of the Bafana Cosafa Cup squad meant the small crowd in Gqeberha were made to expect anything in their opening game of the competition.
It ends....... pic.twitter.com/2eDT7vsgrY
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 26, 2024
Stand-in SA head coach Helman Mkhalele fielded a very attacking line in terms of personnel, but set up his side in the usual 4-3-3 formation we’ve become accustomed to under Hugo Broos.
SuperSport United’s Thabang Sibanyoni led the line as the lone striker, while Sinoxolo Kwayiba, who is usually a centre forward at club level, played in the No 10 role.
Having big men forced Bafana into a more direct style, and they could have opened the scoring through Cape Town Spurs winger Asanele Velebayi.
The 21-year-old speedster ghosted in at the far post to meet a Tholo Matuludi deep cross, but his header crashed off the upright and left the hosts holding their heads.
While Sibanyoni spurned two more chances for the home side, it was through Dortley that they held the lead at the half-time mark.
This is how Bafana Bafana will line up against Mozambique in this COSAFA Cup match #BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/fjrJIY85Jl
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 26, 2024
The Black Mambas were seemingly missing the leadership of Kaizer Chiefs man Edmilson Dove, who was withdrawn by the club from the competition just hours before kick-off.
The second stanza saw a slightly more organised Mozambique emerge from the tunnel, which saw the game become evenly matched.
Although they didn’t really threaten Bafana’s goal, the visitors did find an equaliser through a long-range Alfandega effort in the 64th minute.
In the earlier kick-off on Wednesday, Eswatini and Botswana could not be separated as they played to a goalless draw and collected a point each in Group A.