PORT ELIZABETH – Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane asked fans to lay off striker Katlego Mphela after the Mamelodi Sundowns goal poacher was jeered in their 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Mphela scored the equaliser in the second half in an entertaining Nelson Mandela Challenge clash after the Ivorians took a half-time lead courtesy of a Siboniso Gaxa own-goal.

Mphela who had a torrid afternoon from the home fans who were booing  him before his 53rd minute freekick  silenced them.

The striker had received the same treatment against Egypt at Ellis Park in March when he also went on to score a late goal that gave Bafana their first competitive victory over the Pharaohs.

“I was pleading with them and plead South Africa to give Mphela a break,” Mosimane said.

“If there is a better striker than Katlego Mphela in the country bring him to me. I want to see him. He is the best we have.

“I had to call him  to the sidelines and say to him, ‘the only way to reply back to them is to score another goal’.

“We will be criticised as Bafana, it’s part of the game.

“People have the right to critise, so I take it positively, and hope he took it positively too.”

Mosimane admitted, however, that Bafana were in need of another prolific forward.

“There is hope because we have a good team, and if there is another striker that can help us score goals when Mphela is not scoring, then give me that name and I’ll put that name on the team sheet,” Mosimane said.
 
On a balmy afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Bafana with most of their regular players back gave a respectable display against The Elephants.

Captain Steven Pienaar, Tsepo Masilela, Moeneeb Josephs and Kagisho Dikgacoi  who missed the previous matches due to injury were restored in the  starting line up.

Belgium-based Siboniso Gaxa, who replaced Masilela just before the half hour mark after the Spain’s Getafe FC player collided with Ivory  Coast’s Igor Lolo, scored an own goal which gave Francois Zahoui’s side the lead.

Prior to this goal, the visitors were denied a penalty   Gervinho was tripped inside the box but the referee waved play on much  to the disgust of captain Didier Zokora who remonstrated the decision. Zokora was duly booked for his actions.

The absence of Chelsea’s Didier  Drogba was conspicuous through Zahoui’s men failure to finish the  chances they created.

For Zahoui this match was a preparation for the upcoming Africa Cup of  Nations to be played in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon which Bafana did  not qualify for.

Saturday’s match gave Mosimane  the opportunity to roll out the players he will be using in the qualifying stages of the 2014 World  Cup in Brazil.

 Bafana qualify for the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations as hosts.

Siyabonga Nontshinga and George Lebese earned their maiden international caps for the national team as Mosimane introduced them in the later stages of the game.