SOUTH AFRICA RECORD FINE WIN
South Africa received a morale-boost ahead of the 2010 World Cup when their second-string side overcame a powerful Zimbabwe 3-0 in a friendly international in Durban on Wednesday.
The Bafana Bafana team was made up of locally-based players, with the 29-man squad having been in camp for almost two weeks under the watchful eye of coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
After a 6-2 victory over Swaziland in a training match that was not for caps on Saturday, Bafana were expected to get a much tougher ride from a Zimbabwe team that was at near full-strength, though without its European-based stars.
It was a poor first half in which neither goalkeeper was unduly tested, though South Africa midfielder Teko Modise did see his shot deflected onto the outside of the post.
But Bafana were much better after the break and took control of the game with much more incisive passing and better use of the flanks.
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala showed his class with a superb left-footed free-kick from 25-yards that lifted over the wall and into the bottom corner of Tapuwa Kapini's goal.
That forced the Zimbabweans, who to that point had been sitting back, out of their defensive mode left gaps for the Bafana attackers to exploit behind them.
Orlando Pirates striker Thulasizwe Mbuyane netted his first international goal after a brilliant Bafana move down the right left him with a free-header inside the six-yard box.
Mbuyane's teammate Lucas Thwala also netted his first for the national side in injury-time with a fine header that left Kapini with no chance.
“I am happy with the result after the team prepared well for the match," Parreira said. "The team did not play well in the first half, making far too many mistakes and giving the ball away needlessly, but we got our act together after half-time to win impressively.
"We applied pressure, marked tighter and prevented Zimbabwe building from the back. Now the players must learn to retain possession better and cut out silly errors," the Brazilian added.
The players will now return to their PSL clubs for the remainder of the League season, before assembling for a four-week camp in Brazil in March.