South Africa have it all to fight for in the second header against Congo Brazzaville after being held to a 1-1 draw at the Dobsonville Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
The Under-23 squad is on a mission to qualify for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Morocco on June 24.
Coach David Notoane named a strong side, which saw Southampton’s Kgaugelo Chauke starting on the bench.
The South Africans started on a front foot, dominating most of the ball possession, which saw SuperSport United forward Thapelo Maseko getting close to scoring when he got two opportunities in quick succession.
Moments before half-time, the home side was punished when Love Raemma Mabiala leaped over defender Olwethu Makhanya and fired a bullet of a header to take his side 1-0 up at the break.
Notoane’s charges came out better in the second-half and dominated play, with Maseko being the liveliest and picking up from where he left off in the first-half.
Striker Boitumelo Radiopane, Mduduzi Shabalala and Chauke were introduced, which saw Ethan Brooks, Ashley Cupido and Devon Titus make way for the trio.
Radiopane almost made an instant impact when the ball fell into his path, however, his shot went way over the post.
Brazzaville kept on frustrating the home side when the goal scorer Mabiala pulled an acrobatic attempt, but goalkeeper Lincoln Vyver was equal to the task.
Maseko’s hard work finally paid off in the 70th minute when he scored at close range to put the game all level at 1-1 after some good passage of play.
The substitutes proved vital, as they brought some spark into the game, with Kaizer Chiefs young sensation Shabalala changing the atmosphere of the game with his creative passes.
The South Africans kept knocking on the door, but their efforts were not enough to break a well-organised Brazzaville side, who will be pleased with the draw, as they will have an away goal advantage heading into the second leg on home turf.
For the latest sport news from Sunday World, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here
