Liberia snatch dramatic draw against Bafana Bafana
South Africa ............. 2 Liberia ...................... 2
JOHANNESBURG – Bafana Bafana were made to pay for their wastefulness after letting slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Liberia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Orlando Stadium yesterday evening.
Hugo Broos’ side got off to a flying start when Lyle Foster opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 10 minutes and the Burnley striker was on hand to head home a corner in the 22nd minute.
But Tonia Tisdell stepped off the bench to pull one back for the Lone Stars on 68 minutes before Mohammed Sangare silenced the home crowd with a stunning strike in stoppage time to earn a share of the spoils.
Bafana were given very little time on the ball in the opening stages as the visitors closed them down at every opportunity.
Challenge
Ansumana Keita’s team were presented with an early chance after just three minutes when Percy Tau made a lazy challenge on Oscar Dorley 30 yards out and Ronwen Williams got fingertips to Mohammed Kamara’s curling free-kick towards the near post.
However, Tommy Songo conceded a penalty at the other end on 10 minutes after misjudging the bounce of the ball and catching Tau with a high boot. Foster wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a stuttering run-up to tuck his spot-kick into the bottom right corner of the net.
Foster stuck again just 12 minutes later as he steered a glancing header into the bottom right corner of the net at the near post from a corner on the left to double the hosts’ lead.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane should have made it 3-0 on 24 minutes when he latched onto a defensive mistake just inside the area, but could only clip the outside of the left post from 14 yards out and the Minnesota United forward failed to hit the target once more in the 28th minute after cutting inside from the left.
Teboho Mokoena tried his luck from long range out on the left in the 38th minute after being picked out by Aubrey Modiba, although his shot drifted to the right of the goal.
Williams was alert to the danger moments later when he tipped the ball over the crossbar from Dorley’s mis-queued cross just inside the opposition half on the left.
Bafana continued to search for more goals in the second half and Tau had the ball in the back of the net on 53 minutes after beating Songo at his right post with a free-kick 25 yards out on the right but it was chalked off because the set-piece should have been taken indirectly.