Bafana on their way to Nations Cup finals

You needed to wait until to the final minute to be 100% sure  Bafana Bafana had qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations by beating Liberia 2-1. 

It was a nerve-racking win as SA allowed the Liberians to press them into their half in the last 10 minutes.  

Mihlali Mayambela’s 53rd minute tap-in made all the difference for Bafana at the full Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Liberia on Tuesday night. 

The qualification brought much relief to Bafana coach  Hugo Broos who left the technical area before the end of  last week’s first leg where Bafana allowed Liberia to come back from 2-0 down to draw  2-2 at the Orlando Stadium. 

Bafana took an 18th minute lead in this match via man-of-the-match Zakhele Lepasa’s boot, but just as they did in Orlando last week, Broos’ team allowed Liberia’s striker William Jebor to find an equaliser in the 35th minute.  

Bafana’s winner came as they piled on the pressure early in the second half, with Mayambela getting the winner after Percy Tau’s cross was not dealt well by Liberia goalkeeper Tommy Songo's.   

The victory gives Bafana four points which Liberia can still reach if they beat Morocco in September in their last game.

Bafana too can still reach seven points if they beat Morocco in their last qualifier at home in June. The match has now become academic as both Bafana and Morocco, who won their first two matches against Bafana and Liberia, have already qualified for the finals which will be played in Ivory Coast early next year. 

Broos started this match with his future hanging by a thread as defeat for Bafana would probably have led to his sacking.

The Bafana coach made five changes from last week’s line-up. Nyiko Mobbie took Thapelo Morena’s place at right-back while Morena was moved to attack in the place of Themba Zwane. 

Orlando Pirates skipper Innocent Maela came in for Aubrey Modiba at left-back; Sphephelo Sithole was preferred to Luke le Roux to partner Teboho Mokoena in the middle of the park; Lyle Foster, the two-goal hero in Friday’s game, had his place taken by Lepasa; while Mayambela replaced Bongokuhle Hlongwane in attack. 

These changes may have contributed to Bafana taking longer to find each other on an artificial pitch that did not make things easy for both sides. But Sithole’s presence in the midfield helped as he won a lot of possession.  

Broos’ changes also worked in Bafana’s all important goal as Lepasa latched onto a pass by Morena whose inclusion in the midfield made a huge difference as he could also defend when Bafana were under attack.   

But just as Bafana started to take control, they again took their eye off the ball by allowing the Lone Stars’ skipper Jebor to take a shot from outside the area. Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams tried in vain to stop the ball but it agonisingly slipped out of his hands and rolled into the net. 

Liberia last qualified for Afcon in 2002, the second time they had qualified as the only other time they made was in SA in 1996 when the current Liberian president and African soccer legend George Weah was still playing.