As a result of victories over Botswana’s neighbors and Sierra Leone in two friendlies, Bafana Bafana had a successful international break.
Bafana defeated the Zebras 1-0 at FNB Stadium on Tuesday after humiliating the Leone Stars 4-0 in their first friendly on Saturday.
The focus of Bafana will now shift to the November friendlies as they continue to get ready for two crucial 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
They will play Liberia in back-to-back games in those qualifiers, and they must win both of those games to have a chance of earning a spot in the Ivory Coast.
Hugo Broos, the team’s coach, had previously stated that he would dearly love to continue working with this group moving forward, especially given the unity among the players.
And prior to the game on Tuesday, he had made it clear that he would substitute every player from the squad that defeated Sierra Leone in order to give other players a chance.
A few players made their debuts on Tuesday, including Ashely Du Preez of the Kaizer Chiefs.
However, the Zebras owned the first few minutes of the game as they had possession but were let down by their final penetration.
Bafana began to gain control of the situation as the game’s half-hour mark drew near, catching the Zebras on the brake while they were looking for Du Preez.
Du Preez lost Bafana’s first opportunity when he faced goalkeeper Lesenya Malapelae one-on-one. Malapelae stepped up and stopped the shot.
Du Preez didn’t let that missed opportunity stop him from trying again with a low and hard effort, forcing Malapelae to make another save.
Although Khanyisa Mayo was the front-runner, Du Preez may have had the most opportunities. The free kick that resulted in the opening goal was won by him.
On the verge of halftime, Teboho Mokoena converted the ensuing free kick by drilling a forceful, low effort into the corner, leaving Malapelae defenseless.
Bafana led at the time of the break. Early in the second half, they attempted to double their score but failed due to poor finishing.
Bafana began to lose confidence as the second half went on because Botswana had them confined within their own half.
Veli Mothwa, the goalkeeper, was defeated in a one-on-one battle after he had committed, and as a consequence, Rushine De Reuck made a goal-line clearing.
However, the AmaZulu No. 1 saved a shot from Mosha Gaolaolwe with pinpoint accuracy, and the latter missed the ensuing rebound.
In the last moments of the game, Mokoena was let free from midfield by a beautiful ball, giving Bafana a chance to win.
However, the Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder opted to take a cutback, which Botswana successfully cleared for a corner kick.
However, Mokoena’s free-kick was ultimately enough to give Bafana the crucial victory, allowing them to concentrate on two friendlies in November.