RIO, HERE WE COME!
February deserves all the accolades as under-23s do SA proud
JODY February, you beauty.
The Ajax Cape Town shotstopper was the hero for the South African Under-23 side as his heroics in a penalty shootout secured the team’s ticket to next year’s Rio Olympics.
February made a remarkable three saves in the shootout, after he had already made one 73rd-minute stop from the spot in an entertaining goalless 90 minutes at Stade Leopold Sedar Senghor in the capital Dakar against the hosts, Senegal.
South Africa won the third place play-off match against the Caf Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations hosts, to clinch a place at Rio 2016.
The match went straight to penalties, where, after February’s heroics, Bidvest Wits star striker Phakamani Mahlambi scored the winning spot-kick to help young Bafana become the first under-23 side to reach an Olympics since the generation of Benni McCarthy, Siyabonga Nomvethe and Quinton Fortune beat Brazil 3-1 at Sydney 2000.
The South Africans had plenty of good chances to score and
Da Gama’s boys win third place play-off against the Afcon hosts, to clinch a place at Rio 2016 Games
win the match. The problem for Owen da Gama’s men was they conceded even more opportunities to the hosts.
Senegal struck the bar twice and were thwarted on countless occasions by February’s fine fighting display.
With a place at next year’s Olympics at stake, the two sides gave it their all.
Da Gama made two changes from the 2-0 semifinal defeat against Algeria, starting Mahlambi ahead Menzi Masuku upfront.
The coach also drafted defender Tshepo Rikhotso in the starting 11 for winger Riyaad Norodien.
Senegal coach Seigne Dia had one of the goal-scorers from the host’s opener in his starting lineup, and big playmaker Sidi Sarr was a constant threat.
Ibrahima Keita, who scored a brace, was on the bench.
Da Gama’s charges came out quicker to the ball and forceful in attack, looking for an early goal.
In the sixth minute, captain Keagan Dolly beat left-back Adama Mbengue and cut back to Gift Motupa, whose low shot was palmed by goalkeeper Pape Ndiaye, somehow looping over the bar.
The big Senegalese muscled their way to a marginal domination. Sarr won a free kick and Cheikhou Dieng’s touch forced a save off the legs of February.
Motupa played Deolin Mekoa
of through, who could not get power to beat Ndiaye. Just before the break, Mahlambi’s free kick was into the wall, and his strike from the rebound was well saved by unsighted Ndiaye.
The second half was even more end-to-end. February stopped at point-blank from Ibrahima Diedhou.
Senegal hit the woodwork for the first time when Sarr’s deflected free kick was kept out by February, Mouhamadou Diallo striking onto the crossbar.
February made contact with wing Ismaila Sarr and Rwandan referee Hundu Manyema pointed to the spot.
But February saved Moussa Wague’s penalty and substitute Keita slammed the rebound onto the bar.
In the shootout, Motupa and Masuku also scored for SA, while Kwanda Mngonyama and Dolly missed.