南非 1:0 斯威士蘭
South Africa edge Swaziland in friendly
(AFP) Thursday 29 May 2008
Lacklustre South Africa edged neighbours Swaziland 1-0 in a non-cap international friendly match at chilly Germiston Stadium Thursday.
Striker Katlego Mashego from champions SuperSport United scored the 77th-minute winner as Bafana Bafana (The Boys) prepared for a 2010 FIFA World Cup™-African Nations Cup qualifier in Nigeria on Sunday.
Adding to the concerns of new South Africa coach Joel Santana after a woeful match was an injury to Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar, who limped off eight minutes before half-time.
Pienaar joins fellow midfielders Delron Buckley, Lerato Chabangu and Teko Modise on the casualty list ahead of the toughest fixture for South Africa in Group 4, which includes Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.
Santana, who replaced fellow Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira last month after the FIFA World Cup-winning coach quit to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro, fielded a different team in the second half.
But there was little improvement and the woodwork deprived Mxolisi Mtsetwa of an equaliser before a superb save by goalkeeper Rowan Fernandez from Siza Dlamini kept South Africa ahead.
非洲國家盃外圍賽
尼日利亞 2:0 南非
Nigeria win qualifying opener
(Reuters) Sunday 1 June 2008
First half goals from Ikechukwu Uche and Obinna Nwaneri gave Nigeria a comfortable 2-0 win over South Africa in their FIFA World Cup™ African zone Group Four qualifier in Abuja on Sunday.
Uche scored inside the first 10 minutes, climbing over the South African defence to head home a cross by John Utaka. Nwaneri scored in stoppage time at the end of the first half with another powerful header.
Nigeria toiled with their timid opponents in soaring heat and humidity which ensured the game was played at a pedestrian pace. The win was only the second in a competitive outing this year for Nigeria, who had a disappointing CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ghana earlier this year.
"We are back again and we've sent out a message that whoever is going to play Nigeria is going to find it tough," said Portsmouth striker Nwankwo Kanu, a second-half substitute.
South Africa were restricted to several long range efforts, all of which sailed over the top of the goal.
Both teams play again next weekend with South Africa hosting Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria visiting Sierra Leone.
As hosts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa have already qualified for the finals but are participating in the preliminaries as they also serve as qualifiers for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola.
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非洲國家盃外圍賽
南非 4:1 赤道幾內亞
South Africa bounce back
(AFP) Saturday 7 June 2008
South Africa regained some pride with a 4-1 drubbing of Equatorial Guinea Saturday in a 2010 FIFA World Cup™/CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Bafana Bafana (The Boys) played with a passion that was absent when they suffered a 2-0 away loss to bogey team Nigeria last weekend in the first series of second-round matches.
The South Africans are guaranteed a place at the next FIFA World Cup as hosts, but must compete in the preliminaries because they double as qualifiers for the Cup of Nations in Angola earlier the same year.
Kagisho Dikgacoi, restored to midfield after a difficult performance at rightback in Abuja, scored twice and the other Bafana goals came from strikers Surprise Moriri and Thembinkosi 'Terror' Fanteni.
Juvenal Edjogo, one of several Spain-based footballers called up by Equatorial Guinea, converted a late penalty for the visitors, who disappointed on their first visit to South Africa.
A first for Santana
It was the first official success for recently appointed South Africa coach Joel Santana, who took over last month after fellow Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira returned home to be with his ailing wife.
A weak headed clearance of a Teko Modise cross set up Dikgacoi to give South Africa a 10th-minute lead when his half volley flew over Brazil-born goalkeeper Danilo into the roof of the net. When Equatorial Guinea failed to clear one of 12 corners conceded, livewire Modise crossed and Moriri out jumped Danilo to head the ball over him and a defender to leave South Africa two goals ahead at half-time.
Fanteni put the result beyond doubt on 63 minutes with his first international goal, tapping in a cross from fullback Tsepo Masilela at sunny Super Stadium near Pretoria. Edjogo converted the spot kick after goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was judged to have fouled an opponent, but Dikgacoi had the final say with a headed goal when a corner was not cleared.
South Africa play Sierra Leone in Freeetown next Saturday, while Equatorial Guinea host group favourites Nigeria in Malabo the following day.
非洲國家盃外圍賽
塞拉利昴 1:0 南非
South Africa fall to Sierra Leone
(AFP) Saturday 14 June 2008
South Africa sank to a new low Saturday by losing 1-0 to minnows Sierra Leone in a 2010 FIFA World Cup™-CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Veteran striker Mohamed Kallon converted a penalty on 22 minutes to give the win to the team ranked 33 places below the next FIFA World Cup hosts in Africa.
Once again the stars of South Africa proved no match away from home for passionate opponents desperate to atone for a last-minute Group 4 loss to Nigeria at the same venue last weekend. Nigeria play in Equatorial Guinea Sunday and a victory will take the 'Super Eagles' six points clear of their three rivals halfway through the second qualifying phase in the combined competition.
While South Africa -- who played without injured first choice central defenders Aaron Mokoena, Nasief Morris and Bevan Fransman -- are guaranteed a place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as hosts, they must finish no lower than second in the final standings to keep alive hopes of featuring at the Cup of Nations in Angola the same year.
Cause for concern
Stand-in skipper and midfielder Macbeth Sibaya seemed incapable of inspiring his team-mates and recently appointed Brazilian coach Joel Santana wore a worried look almost from the kick-off.
As time ticked away Bafana laid siege to the Sierra Leone goalmouth only to be foiled by wild shooting, a lack of fire in melees and courageous goalkeeping from Christian Caulker. Sierra Leone were not much better, but they displayed passion by contesting every ball and with a little luck could have scored more than once.
The winner came when Bryce Moon fouled Samuel Barlay and Kallon called on his years of experience playing in France, Italy and the Middle East to calmly slot the ball into the corner as Itumeleng Khune dived the wrong way.
Midfielder Kagiso Dikgacoi came closest to equalising 18 minutes into the second half when he connected with a Tsepo Masilela cross only to see his shot rebound off the crossbar.
南非 2-2 澳洲
Australia, South Africa all square
(AFP) Tuesday 19 August 2008
South Africa's Teko Modise scored a fantastic second-half equaliser to ensure Australia did not come out on top of this London friendly encounter in rescuing a 2-2 draw.
The South Africans led at QPR's Loftus Road Stadium thanks to an early goal from Siyabonga Nkosi before goals from Joshua Kennedy and Mile Sterjovski gave the Australians a half-time lead. Modise, of Orlando Pirates, had the final say, however, as he drilled home a spectacular shot early in the second half.
Both of these sides are already looking towards the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, which South Africa qualify for automatically as host nation. Australia must, by contrast, progress to the tournament by making it through the final Asian qualifying stage in a group also containing Japan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain and Qatar.
Australia were given a boost in this match as Scott Chipperfield made his first appearance of the year for the national side, following a foot injury that forced him to miss the previous eight internationals. Fulham's Mark Schwarzer was given a start in goal for the Socceroos and is now his nation's ninth most capped player, level with former defender Milan Ivanovic.
Bright performance
South Africa manager Joel Santana has come under criticism following recent results, but this performance, particularly in the second half, will certainly have given supporters hope for the future. There are fears that Bafana Bafana may not qualify for the next CAF Africa Cup of Nations after a poor start to qualifying, but the manager recalled Benni McCarthy in attack alongside Nkosi. The Blackburn Rovers striker was making his first appearance since missing Nations Cup matches earlier this year, and was often left in attack on his own as his strike partner dropped deep to link up play.
The first chance of the game fell to Australia on six minutes. South Africa's Aaron Mokoena was shown a yellow card for a tug on Scott McDonald just outside the penalty box, but midfielder Vincenzo Grella missed the target with the resulting free kick. Sterjovski had a chance soon afterwards, but it was South Africa who broke the deadlock on 21 minutes.
Following a backheel from McCarthy, Nkosi found himself some space on the edge of the penalty area and drove the ball into the corner of the net. It was a fantastic strike from the forward who plays for German side Arminia Bielefeld, but the lead lasted only four minutes.
It was then that Australia's Grella unlocked the South African defence with a long ball, which Sterjovki latched on to on the edge of the area to poke the ball over goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
The Aussies could have moved in front had they converted good opportunites in the following six minutes. Yet McDonald had a shot saved, and Joshua Kennedy's header drifted just wide. Before half-time, Karlsruhe forward Kennedy did find the net, though.
On 36 minutes Mark Bresciano swung a free kick in from the right flank, and Kennedy jumped in front of Khune and directed the ball into the net. South Africa responded in fantastic fashion after the break, and McCarthy provided the inspiration. On 55 minutes his wonderful footwork teed up Panathinaikos full-back Bryce Moon on the right byline, and his cutback was met by Modise, who drilled brilliantly into the top right hand corner of the net.
McCarthy is still short of match fitness, and was substituted with 18 minutes remaining. In his absence Australia began to dominate once again, yet struggled to make the most of their opportunities. Kennedy and substitute Bruce Djite both failed when they were presented with chances from good positions and the Socceroos had to settle for the draw.
非洲國家盃外圍賽
南非 0-1 尼日利亞
Nigeria sink luckless South Africa
(AFP) Saturday 6 September 2008
South Africa fell 1-0 to Nigeria, leaving the FIFA World Cup™ hosts with a mountain to climb if they are to qualify for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
After surviving continuous pressure for 70 minutes, severely depleted Nigeria snatched the winner through Ikechukwu Uche and left Bafana Bafana relying on other results going their way. The first would be an Equatorial Guinea victory in Sierra Leone later Saturday followed by a South African victory in Malabo next month and Nigeria taking at least one point off the Leone Stars in Abuja.
South Africa qualify automatically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as hosts and will be joined by five other African nations at the quadrennial 32-team showcase of international football. Victory confirmed the Super Eagles' dominance over Bafana Bafana, with Nigeria not having lost a competitive match to South Africa since an apartheid-induced ban was lifted 16 years ago.
"This was the best performance by South Africa since I took charge and we could have scored six or seven goals," said Brazilian coach Joel Santana after his third loss in five matches after taking charge four months ago.
South Africa did create a lot of chances but we came to win and so I'm delighted. Winning becomes a habit and that is what I want to instil among my players
Shaibu Amodu was delighted with the victory.
Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu said: "South Africa did create a lot of chances but we came to win and so I'm delighted. Winning becomes a habit and that is what I want to instil among my players."
It was the fifth consecutive win for Nigeria in the 2010 FIFA World Cup-CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifying competition and they have not conceded a goal in 450 minutes of action.
Spain-based Uche, scorer of the opening goal when Nigeria defeated South Africa 2-0 in Abuja last June, broke the deadlock with a low shot past Itumeleng Khune into the corner of the net. South Africa came closest to levelling in the coastal city four minutes later when goalkeeper Dele Aiyenugba dashed off his line to parry a close-range shot from Siyabonga Nkosi.
南非 0:1 幾內亞
Bafana continue winless streak
South Africa lost 1-0 to Guinea in a friendly in Pretoria on Tuesday, extending their barren streak to five games without a win.
Yady Camara scored the visitors' winner with a beautifully struck long-range effort on 18 minutes to heap more pressure on Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana.
The loss came just three days after the 2010 World Cup hosts were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after a 1-0 loss to Nigeria.
Santana made wholesale changes to the team after Saturday's defeat but, despite having two goals disallowed for offside, the South African reserves gave the crowd of about 2,000 at Atteridgeville Super Stadium little to cheer.
30/09/2008 Friendly
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11/10/2008 FIFA World Cup™ Qualifier
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15/10/2008 Friendly
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19/11/2008 Friendly
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27/01/2009 Friendly
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11/02/2009 Friendly
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28/03/2009 Friendly
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Siphiwe Tshabalala scored in stoppage time to give South Africa a 2-1win over Norway and their first success over European opposition inseven years. The substitute midfielder unleashed a left-foot drive fromoutside the penalty area that flew past several defenders and overgoalkeeper Jan Knudsen, in a friendly that doubled as the NelsonMandela Challenge.
06/06/2009 Friendly
http://www.fifa.com/imgml/flags/s/rsa.gif South Africa 1:0 (1:0) Poland http://www.fifa.com/imgml/flags/s/pol.gif
South Africa gained a morale-lifting win ahead of the FIFAConfederations Cup, with an early Thembinkosi Fanteni goal giving thema 1-0 victory over Poland in a friendly at Orlando Stadium. The25-year-old slotted into an open goal with six minutes gone, afterBernard Parker's scuffed shot had found a way past onrushing Polishgoalkeeper Lukas Zaluska.