Bafana Bafana beat Zambia 3-1 in an entertaining friendly match played at a bumpy Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha yesterday.

The Citizen reports that goals from Oswin Appollis, substitute Mohau Nkota and Sphephelo Sithole ensured South Africa registered their first win over Zambia since 2018 and will go into next month’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco high on confidence. Substitute Sabobo Banda scored the consolation goal for Chipolopolo.

Broos gets the victory he wanted

Prior to the game coach Hugo Broos said he was looking for a victory in their final friendly before the continental competition and his charges delivered it in style.

The hosts dominated possession and had the better of the early exchanges between the sides.

Chipolopolo goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata was called into action as early as the eighth minute and did well to save Teboho Mokoena’s free kick just outside the penalty area.

Mokoena, who was playing his 50th game for Bafana, then tried his luck from long range, but this time it went wide with Nsabata seemingly having it covered.

Bafana control the danger

Zambia used mainly the left flank to attack Bafana where their star player Fashion Sakala was, but Khuliso Mudau kept him quiet and eliminated the danger from Chipolopolo. As a result, Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was hardly troubled.

With the visitors applying a low block in the first half, Bafana were forced to shoot from range. In the 27th minute, Lyle Foster tried his luck from distance, but it went over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Nsabata did well to put his body on the line to deny Sipho Mbule, also from long range, as Bafana continued to pile pressure on Chipolopolo in search of the opener.

Appollis breaks the deadlock

Just when it looked as though the sides would go into the break still locked at 0-0, Appollis broke the deadlock and put Bafana in the lead. The Orlando Pirates attacker was sent through on goal by a perfectly weighted long pass from Bucs teammate Mbule, and he slotted the ball past Nsabata with his left foot.

Impactful changes in the second half

Both sides made changes at the start of the second half. For Bafana, Sipho Chaine, Khulumani Ndamane, Thalente Mbatha and Mohau Nkota were introduced by Broos as he looked to give more players a chance to impress in this final friendly before Afcon.

The changes proved to be a stroke of genius as one of the substitutes, Nkota, doubled Bafana’s lead just after the hour mark. The Al-Ettifaq attacker beat Nsabata with a superb finish, with Mbule again providing the assist.

Nkota turned provider in the 68th minute when his corner kick was headed home by Sphephelo Sithole.

Sakala almost pulled one back for Zambia four minutes later when he eliminated Nkosinathi Sibisi, but Chaine closed the angle and his shot went across goal.

Sabobo pulled one back for Zambia in the referee’s optional time, but it was too late for Chipolopolo.

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