Bafana Bafana held by feisty Angola

Bafana Bafana’s international week ended with a whimper yesterday as they could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Angola in an international friendly at Mbombela Stadium.

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Bafana head coach Hugo Broos had hoped for a second victory to follow up from the 2-1 win over Mozambique at the same venue on Thursday, but in the end he had his captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to thank for keeping the scores level in the second half.

Bafana coach Hugo Broos had promised to make changes from the win over Mozambique, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Miguel Timm, Monnapule Saleng and Grank Kekana all droppedto the bench, with Siyanda Xulu, Luke Le Roux, Fagrie Lakay and Kgaogelo Sekgota all getting a start.

Bafana started the match a little sloppily and Angola had the first good chance, Christovao Pacencia getting ahead of his man from a near post corner but firing wide.

South Africa came roaring back and Sekgota almost got on the end of a Nyiko Mobbie cross before a rasping strike from Teboho Mokoena was just pushed away from goal by Angolan ‘keeper and former Cape Town City man Hugo Marques.

Pacienca then almost stole in again from a corner and in the 20^th minute, Bafana showed they hadn’t learned their lesson, as Ambrosini Salvador was allowed a free header from another set piece and nodded into the net.

In the 24^th minute, Sekgota was fouled and showed quick thinking as he latched onto a hastily taken free kick, the Kaizer Chiefs winger stinging the palms of Marques with a fierce strike.

Just after that, Sekgota won Bafana a penalty as the goalscorer Salvador caught him late in the box, though the Angolans vociferously protested the decision. Lepasa stepped up and just about squeezed a low finish past Marques.

The rest of the half was rather scrappy, with some rather rough tackles, one of which forced Xulu off with a shouolder injury on the stroke of half time, with Kekana coming on in his place.

Just before that, Angola captain Jonathan Buatu headed straight at Ronwen Williams, as Bafana marked poorly yet again from a corner, and at the other end, Mobbie sent a screamer flying just over the Angolan crossbar.

Bafana dominated posession at the start of the second half, but despite a few promising openings, were unable to test Marques, and Broos brought off Lakay and threw on Hlongwane just before the hour mark.

Still, it was Angola who immediately tested Williams, Pacencia firing in a shot that was pushed away by the Bafana captain.

And Williams had to make an even better save in the 68^th minute, keeping out an effort from Pedro Miguel when the Angolan was clean through on goal.

Broos also brought on Saleng and Khanyisa Mayo, but the game rather lost its way in another flurry of rough challenges.

Bafana did have a sniff of a chance in the 80^th minute as Mokoena surged into the area, but the ball got away from him and Marques was able to gather.

But it was Williams who was tested again in the 83^rd minute as substitute Deivi Vieira rifled in a shot that he managed to tip away.

Bafana created one last chance, as Mayo set upHlongwane, but the Minnesota United striker could not repeat his heroics of Thursday, badly mis-kicking his effort.