By Eniola Olatunji
The Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Sunday at the Amadou Coulibali Stadium in Korhogo put the Brave Warrior of Namibia to great sleep with an unbelievable score line of 4-0 in an outstanding Group E match to close second round matches of AFCON 23 tournament.
The victory was a replica of what Benny McCarthy and his colleagues did to Namibia in their regional COSAFA match of 5th June 2018 that ended 4-1 to the Mandela Boys.
South Africa concluded the victory in the first half and turned the second half to a practice game experimenting with some new boys as new legs were brought into the match.
Percy Tau who missed a penalty against Mali in the first group game stepped up for a penalty in the 14th minute kicked it with the left footer to the bottom corner of the net for South Africa’s first goal in the tournament.
Mamelodi Sundowns player, Themba Zwane scored a brace (two goals in a match) in the 25th minute and 40th minute to set the bench of the Brave Warriors in pathetic confusion. He is the first South African player to score a Brace in AFCON finals. Cover photo is Themba Zwane the Brace Man.
Namibia were really in slumber snoring when substitute Thapelo Maseko also of Mamelodi Sundowns who came in for eventual MAN OF THE MATCH, Themba Zwane in the 70th minute scored in the 75th minute making the 9,304 fans at the stadium to roar.
Mali still leads Group E with 4 points scoring 3 goals and conceding 1; South Africa climbed to the 2nd position with 3 points 4 goals and 2 goals against; Namibia also has 3 points, scored only one goal and conceded 4 goals to place 3rd while Tunisia sits uncomfortably on the bottom with a point 1 goal for and 2 against.
Group E last matches will be played simultaneously on Wednesday at 6pm between Namibia and Mali and the other match will be South Africa versus Tunisia.
On 9th September 2023 South Africa played goalless with Namibia in a friendly match; on 5th July 2023they played 1-1 in a regional COSAFA game; on 8th October 2020 both teams played 1-1 in a friendly match; on 28th June 2019 in an AFCON game South Africa beat Namibia by a lone goal; and on 5th June 2018 Namibia bowed 1-4 in a COSAFA match.
South Africa ranked 66 in the world is making her 12th appearance and in her preparation played goalless with Eswatini in a friendly on 13th October 2023; drew 1-1 with Ivory Coast in another friendly on 17th October 2023; Benin Republic got a 2-1 bashing in a world cup match on 18th November 2023; lost 0-2 to Rwanda in a world cup duel on 21st November 2023 and on 10th January 2024 it was goalless with Lesotho. South Africa on 16th January 2024 slumped 0-2 to Mali in the first group games at Ivory Coast.
In 1996 South Africa hosted and won 2-0 over Tunisia; she won Silver in 1998 at Burkina Faso losing to Egypt 0-2; South Africa won the Bronze at the Nigeria/Ghana hosting of 2000 beating Tunisia on penalties 4-3 after 2-2 at full time and South Africa hosted in 2013 failing to win a medal.
The Brave Warriors of Namibia ranked 115 in the world is at the party for the fourth time. The team has never won a match at the Finals in their appearances in 1998; 2008 and 2019 but this year they told the world they have not come to win but to make impact. Interesting!
Namibia’s last five matches did show the team as a warrior they said they are. She lost 4-6 to Botswana on 3rd August 2023; played goalless with South Africa in another friendly on 9th September 2023 in Jo’Borg; lost to Guinea by a lone goal in a world cup qualifier on 19th November 2023; celebrated a 3-0 victory over Sao Tome and Principe on 21st November 2023 and played goalless with Ghana in a friendly on 10th January 2024 before the AFCON games in Ivory Coast. In their first AFCON final match, Namibia shocked Tunisia 1-0 on 16th January 2024.
In the second match of Group F played earlier, Zambia and Tanzania played 1-1 draw with Msuva scoring first for Tanzania at 11th minute and Daka scoring the equalizer at the 88th minute but Kabwe of Zimbabwe was red carded in the 44th minute.
Then Group F will also be decided at 9pm on Wednesday when Zambia plays Morocco and Tanzania will slug it out with DR Congo.
In group F, Morocco still leads with 4 points, 4 goals and 1 goal against; DR Congo is 2nd with 2 points having 2 goals and 2 goals against; Zambia chalked 2 points scoring 2 goals and conceding 2 goals also to place 3rd while Tanzania stands at the exit door with a point earned, a goal scored but 4 goals deficit.
The last Group games will start Monday at 6pm with Nigeria’s Super Eagles facing Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea having a big match in hosts Ivory Coast. It will be played simultaneously.
At 9pm in group B their matches will also be played simultaneously when Ghana tries to redeem their status against Mozambique and Cape Verde will confront the Pharaohs of Egypt.
Eniola Olatunji reports for Patmos Media Line.
#CAF #IvoryCoast2023 #NFF.
