‘A good workout before Angola’

BAFANA Bafana coach Shakes Mashaba said the Central American tour in which his charges beat Costa Rica and drew with Honduras was a worthwhile exercise as the team prepares for the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Angola.

South Africa beat Costa Rica 1-0 at the San Jose National Stadium last Thursday, through a goal by Andile Jali, before being held by Honduras 1-1 at San Pedro Sula’s Olympico Metropolitan Stadium on Tuesday.

Defender Erick Mathoho gave Bafana Bafana an early lead with a towering header, but Erick Andino equalised moments later as the match ended in a stalemate.

Bafana were more dominant in the first half, but the hosts piled on the pressure in the second, creating some giltedged chances.

It was the visitors, however, who fashioned two late chances that could have swayed the match in their favour, but both Sibusiso Vilakazi and Mandla Masango’s efforts missed.

Despite not chalking up another away win in the Americas, Mashaba said the two matches were good exercises for Angola.

“I could not have asked for a better workout. It showed us areas that we need to improve before the World Cup matches against Angola next month,” said Mashaba. “We have managed to shore up defence-wise, and I am happy with how watertight our back four have become.”

The Bafana mentor also praised his midfield for keeping possession for longer periods, a recipe for methodical build-ups.

However, he said there was still some work to be done when it came to finishing.

“We could have stolen the match at the death, but Vilakazi and Masango were denied in the dying minutes. But we will continue working on that particular area.

“We finished the stronger of the two teams against Honduras, and, with a bit of that luck, could have scored two good wins in Central America. Still, a win and a draw are good returns,” he said.

Meanwhile, the tiny island nation of the Comoros and conflict-riven Chad both unexpectedly advanced to the second round of Africa’s World Cup preliminaries with away-goal triumphs in qualifying matches on Tuesday.

They were joined by Botswana, Burundi, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia, Niger and Mauritania, while Djibouti failed to arrive for their tie in Swaziland.

Comoros booked a secondround knockout tie against Ghana next month after they held Lesotho to a 1-1 draw in Maseru, netting a vital away goal after a 0-0 draw in last week’s first leg.

Chad, where civil conflict has held back the game’s development, qualified despite losing 2-1 to Sierra Leone in the second leg of their preliminary-round tie.

Mauritania and Niger both won 4-0 at home to dispatch South Sudan and Somalia respectively, while Liberia won 3-1 away in Guinea Bissau for a 4-2 aggregate triumph.

Swaziland, who were 6-0 winners away in Djibouti last week, were left twiddling their thumbs after Djibouti were stranded in Nairobi with visa problems.

“We are going to discuss the way forward concerning the match, but it is likely to be played within the next 48 hours,” said Frederick Mngomezulu, the chief executive of the Swaziland football association. – ANA-Reuters