Bafana Bafana of South Africa played a superb second half to beat Nigeria’s Super Eagles in a CAN 2019 qualifier in Uyo this evening by two goals to nothing.
No one saw it coming!
Super Eagles played tamely in the first half as Bafana Bafana looked good in defense and compact without the ball. Even though the Nigerians had the lion share of possession in the first half, they made no headway with two clear chances created.
Rather, it was the South Africans that could have gone ahead in the 42ndminute due to a poor goalkeeping from Daniel Akpeyi. It was the warning the Super Eagles needed to have taken into the second half.
Bafana Bafana’s coach Stuart Baxter made a change on resumption by moving an additional man into the midfield. This immediately unsettled the Super Eagles who suddenly had little possession and now faced with a resurgent opposition.
Lacking in attack and poor with set pieces, the Super Eagles clearly struggled and it wasn’t long before the South Africans scored their first goal.
Rantie Tokelo, who damaged Nigeria’s aspiration towards Equatorial Guinea reacted sharply to nod into Akpeyi’s near post off great play from the right. Nigeria had no response!
Now playing more like the home team, Bafana Bafana picked their passes and left the Super Eagles trailing for most of the second half.
A raft of substitutions by Gernot Rohr did little as Ahmed Musa’s introduction coincided with a lengthy period of possession by the South Africans.
Bafana Bafana gave the Super Eagles the sucker punch in the 82nd minute as Percy Tau latched on to a through ball that beat the whole pack of the Nigeria side to score the second goal.
It could have been more for the South Africans as the post came in aid of the Super Eagles on two different occasions.
Gernot Rohr and his team dropped the baton today. But they can get back right into it!
Had work and grafting is now required more than ever as there is simply no margin for error in the reaming five games of the group.
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