Playing against the number one FIFA ranked team on your continent was never going to be easy. But Bafana Bafana’s Head coach Shakes Mashaba took on the challenge, and after the first half in their opening encounter against Algeria in Group C it seemed the team had everything under control.
Bafana Bafana played against Algeria at the Mongomo Stadium in Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea on January 19 in their first encounter of AFCON 2015, and taking a beating of 3-1.
Algeria attacked the South Africans from the word go and tested Darren Keet in the goalbox on several occasions, but he kept a clean sheet. Bafana answered in the latter stages of the first half through Tokelo Rantie, but could not find the back-end of the goals.
The two teams started the second half on a square foot. It was the number one team on the continent that impressed by their fight back to go to the top of the bale by goal difference when Sengal defeated Ghana 2-1.
Algeria’s goals came from Faouzi Ghoulam and Islam Slimani and an unfortunate own goal by Thulani Hlatshwayo, which wiped out the lead Thuso Phala gave South Africa.
Rantie wasted a great chance to double the advantage for Bafana Bafana almost immediately by firing a penalty over off the crossbar.
Algeria used the same squad that reached the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and forced eventual champions Germany into extra time before bowing out.
South Africa had to do without suspended defensive colossus Erick Mathoho with Rivaldo Coetzee, who was ruled out of play by sustaining an injury in the first half and Hlatshwayo manning the central positions.
In the second half Bafana players came on firing when a Rantie back-heel set up Phala to break the deadlock on 51 minutes with a close-range shot wide from Mbolhi.
Rantie’s spot-kick flew over off the crossbar after Aissa Mandi fouled Vilakazi.
Algeria launched their attack and Slimani was denied by Keet and then by the post. Algeria broke the South Africans’ hearts when they scored twice in six minutes. And then the most unfortunate shot came from Hlatshwayo, who headed a cross into his own net and a fierce Ghoulam shot flew past Keet. This gave Algeria the upper hand and they never looked back.
An Algerian victory was wrapped up seven minutes from time as Keet allowed a Slimani shot to slip under his body and into the net.
