Lyle Foster struck late as South Africa made a winning start to their AFCON campaign against Angola. Photo: AFP
MARRAKESH, MOROCCO,:
Burnley striker Lyle Foster scored on 79 minutes as South Africa edged Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh on Monday to win their opening match of an Africa Cup of Nations campaign for the first time in 21 years.
Since beating Benin in the 2004 tournament, Bafana Bafana have drawn twice and lost four times when they debuted in different editions of the premier African football tournament.
The opening Group B match had three distinct phases. South Africa started impressively and Oswin Appollis scored on 21 minutes before a small crowd in the near-42,000-seat stadium.
Angola controlled the rest of the opening half and Show levelled. South Africa then recovered to be the stronger side in the second half and Foster struck to secure maximum points.
Egypt, captained by Mohamed Salah, meet Zimbabwe later in southern coastal city Agadir in the same section.
South Africa attacked frequently in the early stages, but their goalkeeper Ronwen Williams had to react quickly on 15 minutes to push away a shot from fellow captain Fredy Ribeiro.
Appollis gave Bafana Bafana the lead six minutes later, winning possession off a Khuliso Mudau cross and beating 39-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Marques with a low shot into the corner.
Williams came to the rescue again as the match reached the half-hour mark, making a brilliant point-blank save from a Gelson Dala header.
Angola were getting on top and it came as no surprise when Show — one of many Angolan footballers who use a nickname — equalised after 35 minutes.
Tempers flare
Siyabonga Ngezana was lucky to escape being yellow-carded after fouling Dala, but the indiscipline was to prove costly on a cold evening in central Morocco.
The resultant free-kick was driven low into the South African goalmouth and Show connected with the ball to steer it into the corner.
Tempers flared as the half progressed and the Sudanese referee cautioned To Carneiro of Angola, then South Africans Aubrey Modiba and Sphephelo Sithole.
As the teams exited the pitch at half-time, Frenchman Patrice Beaumelle would have been the happier coach with Angola unlucky not to be ahead.
South Africa thought they had regained the lead six minutes into the second half when substitute Tshepang Moremi, on for the ineffective Mohau Nkota, fired a low shot wide of Marques and into the net.
But Bafana celebrations were cut short when a VAR review showed that Foster — the sole South African from the top five European leagues in the squad — was marginally offside.
South Africa were pressing for a second goal and centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi temporarily abandoned his defensive duties to beat Marques with a long-range drive only to see it rebound off the crossbar.
On the back foot for much of the opening half, South Africa were now the aggressors, constantly pushing forward in search of the lead.
A swift Bafana counterattack saw Moremi outpace a defender, then push the ball back into the path of Foster, who squandered a good chance by firing over.
But Foster atoned with 11 minutes of regular time left through a shot from the edge of the box that gave Marques no chance, and put South Africa back in front.
An intercept of an Angolan pass and two slick passes set up the striker to claim his fourth goal in six matches.
