Bafana Bafana tame Indomitable Lions to keep coach Mashaba unbeaten

BAFANA Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba’s unbeaten run since his appointment was extended to nine matches in last night’s draw in a friendly against Cameroon at Stade L’Amitie in Libreville, Gabon.

Vincent Aboubakar’s powerfully struck seventh-minute free kick gave Cameroon an early lead. But a superb run and finish with the outside of his right boot by substitute Sibusiso Vilakazi gave South Africa the equaliser in the 77th minute in the warmup match for the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, which starts on Saturday.

Cameroon are ranked 41st in the world and eighth in Africa. In the wake of a disastrous 2014 World Cup, the Indomitable Lions have largely rebuilt their team and are outsiders to challenge for the Afcon trophy.

Bafana will be pleased at a competitive draw, in which they troubled the Lions in the second half.

Mashaba will be satisfied at a useful run out against the sort of physical opponents SA are known to struggle against.

The coach used the match to explore combinations, making five changes from the starting lineup in SA’s previous warmup match, the 1-0 win against Zambia last Sunday.

He gave a start between the posts to Brilliant Khuzwayo, with regular goalkeeper Darren Keet on the bench. Thulani Hlatswayo was deployed in central defence for Mulomowandau Mathoho.

Themba Zwane started in wide midfield ahead of Mandla Masango. The central midfield partnership of Dean Furman and Andile Jali, both unavailable against Zambia, returned for Thamsanqa Sangweni and Reneilwe Letsholonyane.

Up front, Mashaba opted for Bernard Parker, in for Bongani Ndulula, behind Tokelo Rantie.

Cameroon, who drew their last warm-up 1-1 against Democratic Republic of Congo, started with a new danger man following the international retirement of Samuel Eto’o, Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar.

Aboubakar, 22, scored four goals in the Afcon qualifiers as the Lions finished unbeaten on top of a group including DRC and Ivory Coast.

Cameroon coach Volker Finke also had Lyon forward Clinton Njie, who scored three goals in the qualifiers, in his lineup.

Bafana conceded a soft goal after Zwane was unfortunate to concede a free kick two metres outside his area. Aboubakar smacked a strike at the top right corner and Khuzwayo was wrong-footed and couldn’t reach the ball.

The South Africans produced some excellent movement at the beginning of the second half to get behind Cameroon.

Oupa Manyisa forced a diving save from Lions keeper Fabrice Ondoa in the 57th minute.

SA play Algeria on January 19 in their Afcon opener.