Bafana Bafana debutant Thalente Mbatha scored a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a crucial draw against Uganda during their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier on Friday night.
South Africa was held to a 2-2 draw in front of an exuberant Orlando Stadium crowd on Friday night.
Bafana will now shift their focus to their next Group K encounter away to South Sudan next week Tuesday. South Sudan lost their opening match 1-0 to Congo Brazzaville on Thursday.
With some regular Bafana players unavailable due to injuries, coach Hugo Broos had to twitch his starting lineup, which saw Kaizer Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley partner with Siyabonga Ngezana at center back.
In goals, AmaZulu FC goalkeeper Veli Mothwa was given a nod ahead of Ricardo Goss and Sipho Chaine in the absence of injured captain and Ballon d’Or nominee Ronwen Williams.
The home side could not have asked for a better start to the match, as they got an early goal through Burnley FC talisman Lyle Foster in the 14th minute.
Uganda had their tails up as they were in search of an equaliser but Bafana went into the half-time in control of the proceedings with a slender lead.
Six minutes into the second half, the visitors found their equalizing goal spectacularly, when Denis Omedi fired a venomous shot from outside the box to leave a fully stretched Mothwa with no chance.
It did not take the Ugandans long to double their lead when Mothwa made a goalkeeping blunder and saw the ball slip off his hands and into the back of the net from a Rogers Mato strike just outside the halfway mark.
Broos reacted and made some much-needed changes, with Orlando Pirates midfielder Mbatha’s inclusion paying dividends, as he leveled matters in the 90th minute in a stadium he knows very well.
