Lady luck smiled favourably on Bafana Bafana on Friday night, as they earned a late 2-2 draw with Uganda in their Group K African Cup of Nations Qualifier at Orlando Stadium.
With regular time a thing of the past and five of the six added minutes already played, South Africa were down 2-1 and the Cranes looked like they would bag a first victory over Bafana Bafana.
Uganda threw back elke Jan Rap en sy maat trying to defend their lead.
In fact, at the time of Bafana’s second goal they had nine defenders in the box. But somehow the ball fell at the feet of Bafana Bafana substitute Thalente Mbatha after a blocked effort from one of his teammates.
Mbatha didn’t hesitate to go for glory and calmly punched the ball from the 18-yard line with the left foot and into the Cranes’ net – 2-2 and one point apiece.
The result was a fair one for Bafana, as they should have had a much bigger buffer than the 1-0 lead at half-time they enjoyed.
Man of the Match Oswin Appollis tried his utmost best to keep the scoreboard ticking on the day, being a constant menace down the left wing.
It was he who had the game’s first real shot at goal, blasting the ball from outside the area in the second minute already, before another long-range effort – this time a much tamer one – six minutes later.
Striker Lyle Foster, though, would be the one to open the scoring when he finished off calmly after running onto an expert through ball from rightback Khuliso Mudau in the 30th minute.
But then the tide turned unexpectedly in the 51st minute when South Africa were dispossessed in the middle of the park and Denis Omedi smashed home a stunner from way out to make it 1-1.
Still recovering from that strike, Bafana got another dwarsklap two minutes later when Rogers Mato scored a ridiculous goal from 10 or so metres inside the SA half.
Goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, in for injured Bafana captain Ronwen Williams, should have done better with the shot, but the ball went through his hands (2-1).
The table was set for a big upset and a first Uganda win over South Africa, but then Mbatha entered the fray and the hosts got the luck of the draw.
SA next tackle South Sudan tomorrow.