South Africa Impress with Dominant Win in AFCON Qualifier Against Sudan
South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, kicked off their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign in emphatic style on Friday, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Sudan in Omdurman. The win marked a perfect start for new head coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba in his first competitive outing since taking over from Gordon Igesund.
Despite a spirited start by the home side, it was South Africa who ultimately controlled the match, especially after the break. Sudan enjoyed the better of the first-half opportunities, pressing forward and creating chances, but were repeatedly denied by stand-in captain and goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa. With first-choice keeper Itumeleng Khune sidelined due to injury, Meyiwa rose to the occasion with several crucial saves to keep the scores level at half-time.
The second half belonged entirely to Bafana Bafana. Substituted into the match, midfielder Sibusiso Vilakazi made an immediate impact. He opened the scoring in the 55th minute and followed up with a second just six minutes later, putting South Africa firmly in command. Forward Bongani Ndulula rounded off the win with a third goal in the 75th minute, capping an efficient and clinical performance.
The result sees South Africa take early control in Group A of the qualifiers, where they are joined by Nigeria and Congo, who are scheduled to clash on Saturday in Calabar. The victory also offers renewed optimism for South African fans, with Mashaba’s youthful squad showing promise and hunger from the outset of the campaign.
Match Lineups
Sudan: Mahgoub – Bala, Kamal, Gaafar, Faris – Bakhit, Alaeldin, Agab, Nazar – Bisha, Bakri.
South Africa: Meyiwa (c) – Ngcongca, Hlatshwayo, Mathoho, Matlaba – Jali, Furman – Masango, Dolly, Rantie – Ndulula.
With this strong opening performance, Bafana Bafana have set a confident tone for their path to the 2015 AFCON finals.
