Bafana edge Botswana in Cosafa Cup Plate final

Bafana Bafana beat a 10-man Botswana outfit 2-1 in the Cosafa Cup Plate final at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium on Sunday.

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Goals from each half from Antonio van Wyk and Selaelo Rasebotja were enough for Bafana to lift the Cosafa Plate.

Bafana didn’t have a good start to the tie, with the team allowing Botswana to put them under pressure, with Resaobaka Thatanyane causing trouble for the South African defence.

However, they managed to pick up some momentum as the game went on and started to launch a number of attacks on their opponents. Stellenbosch FC winger Van Wyk gave the Zebras defence a torrid time and made almost gave the host the lead in the 24th minute, but he was not able to finish the job with Botswana shot-stopper Goitsone Phoko quickly coming out of his poles to handle the ball.

Five minutes after the half hour mark, Van Wyk’s speed worked wonders for Bafana as he forced a mistake from the Botswana defenders and keeper before slotting the ball into the back of the net to make 1-0 for the home side.

The goal injected some bit of confidence into Bafana and they ended up finishing the half strongly.

Botswana threw more bodies upfront in search of the equaliser in the second half and they got a chance to test Olwethu Mzimela between the sticks for South Africa. A cross from the left wing was met with Thatanyane’s header which unfortunately went wide in the 63rd minute.

Things went from bad to worse for Botswana in the 78th minute when substitute Odirile Lekoba got sent off for a dangerous play, leaving Botswana to play the remainder of the game with one man short.

Bafana took advantage of the situation as they went on attack and got the second goal courtesy of Rasebotja who made it 2-0 after coming on as a late first half substitute.

The home side then relaxed after doubling their lead Botswana pulled one back with a well taken shot by captain Thato Kebue. But in the end, it was Bafana who would go on to be crowned the Plate champions.