Bafana-Bafana defeat Egypt 1-0

The first half showed a fair bit of promise for Shakes Mashaba’s side, Bafana playing with more intensity than last week’s drawn AFCON qualifier with Mauritania. But the second 45 minutes was less satisfactory, the hosts unable to find any potency up front and on another night may well have lost the game had the visitors been more clinical with some guilt-edged opportunities.

It was Egypt who had the first chance of the game, a mistake by Clayton Daniels on five minutes allowing Ahmed Hassan to get in a shot on goal, but his curling effort from the edge of the box brought out a good save by Itumeleng Khune.

Proving to be an open game, a near full-strength Bafana were looking dangerous when going forward and they were to draw first blood, in the 7th minute, when Makola popped up unmarked at the back post to head in a pinpoint cross from former Kaizer Chiefs winger Mandla Masango.

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It was Makola’s second goal for the senior national team, the first having arrived exactly one year ago in the Nelson Mandela Challenge win over Senegal – and the Orlando Pirates midfielder was in the mood for more as he stung Egyptian goalkeeper Ahmed Elshenawi’s palms with a stinging near-post effort five minutes later.

Masango then fired over from range on the quarter hour mark as the hosts continued to threaten the Pharaohs.

The north Africans enjoyed a strong passage of play for the final 10 minutes of the first half, although apart from several probing crosses into the box, dealt with by Khune, the South African goal did not come under much threat.

The Egyptians continued on the front foot after the restart and should have at the least levelled the game after two great opportunities fell the way of former Chelsea forward Mohammed Salah, while Mahmoud Hassan also flashed a header off target.

Salah’s chances both came from blistering counter-attacks, the first on 55 minutes seeing him curling the ball inches past the post from 18-yards out, with Khune rooted to the spot, before he headed wide after sneaking in front of a static Tebogo Langerman.

For their part, South Africa lacked purpose and penetration in attack in the second stanza and while there were some moments when they looked like they may add a second goal to their tally, Elshenawi barely had a save to make as Bafana’s attacks broke down around the edge of the box or final passes failed to come to fruition.

But in the end enough had been done to secure a third successive Nelson Mandela Challenge triumph after having beaten Senegal and the Ivory Coast in the previous two editions. In total, South Africa’s record in the competition reads: won 12, lost eight and drawn three.