Who would have thought four months after coach Shakes Mashaba took over the hot seat at Bafana Bafana that the national team would qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations? Never mind going through their qualifiers unbeaten and getting a draw with Nigeria away from home in the process?
It’s a spectacular turnaround in fortunes for a Bafana side, who were called a “bunch of losers” by the Minister of Sport Fikile Mbalula at the start of the year following their premature exit from the African Nations Championships (Chan) on home soil. On that January day it was Nigeria who knocked Bafana out of the competition.
But last night, at the Ibom International Stadium in Uyo, Bafana returned the favour by preventing Nigeria from qualifying for the continental showpiece. Nigeria needed to win the match to qualify for January’s Afcon in Equatorial Guinea.
Bafana, though, should have grabbed all three points after Tokelo Rantie scored a brace either side of the halftime break. It was Bafana’s first ever goal in Nigeria, and it was a chance to get their first ever win against the Super Eagles in a competitive match.
However, it was not to be as Omatsone Aluko scored two second-half goals of his own to earn the home side a draw.
Bafana made their intentions clear when Tokelo Rantie went on a typically explosive run, which left the Nigerian defenders sprawling on the ground. The English-based-striker, though, decided to go for glory with his weaker left foot, instead of laying it off to either Kermit Erasmus next to him, or the oncoming Reneilwe Letsholonyane, who was also unmarked in the penalty area.
The Super Eagles seemed to catch a bit of wake up after the scare, and started to threaten the Bafana goal with their pace and power. Ahmed Musa terrorised the Bafana defenders every time he got the ball in space, either through the middle or on the right flank.
In the eighth minute the CSKA Moscow man went on a dangerous solo run after captain Dean Furman uncharacteristically gave the ball away in midfield. However, Musa was brilliantly denied by Darren Keet in the Bafana goal.
Eight minutes later, Musa had another chance to see if he could beat Keet in a one-on-one situation after he skinned the Bafana defenders for pace. But Keet, playing with gloves with a special message on it for slain goalkeeper and captain Senzo Meyiwa, showed his class with another point-blank save.
One of the hallmarks of Bafana’s campaign has been their desperation in defence, and they again scrambled well in Uyo last night.
Every Nigerian ball in to the box was dealt with in the first half, as Bafana put their bodies on the line to make sure that they didn’t concede.
The dangerous Ike Uche didn’t have a lot of chances inside the Bafana penalty area. But he had one of his rare shots blocked in the 26th minute by Eric Mathoho.
Rantie silenced the boisterous crowd in the 42nd minute when he scored one of the most famous goals by a player in Bafana colours.
The first ever South African goal on Nigerian soil had to be a little bit spectacular. And it was.
After Furman slipped Rantie the ball on the left, he powered his way around the Nigerian defenders, before steering the ball past Vincent Enyeama.
The Bournemouth player then completed his brace early in the second half with a similar show of his power and upper-body strength. After dispossessing the Nigerians, he powered his way towards goal before rounding Enyeama and steering the ball into the back of the net with his left foot.
Bafana, who were guilty of defending a little too deep in the second half, paid the price when Omatsone Aluko pulled a goal back in the 68th minute. He was quickest to react to the loose ball after Eche hit the post with a right-footed drive.
Aluko then scored the equaliser in the in stoppage time with a fearsome right-footed drive to deny Bafana a famous win. Rantie could have sneaked the victory and his hat trick at the end, but he couldn’t finish after he again overpowered the Nigerian defence.
Nigeria (0) 2 (Omatsone Aluko 68, 90)
South Africa (1) 2 (Tokelo Rantie 42, 48 - Cape Times