Bafana tighten grip on top of Group C

Bafana Bafana rose above the grim news of a possible point-deduction that gripped the nation a few hours before kick-off, putting in a professional display to outwit Benin 2-0 in their sixth World Cup qualifier at Abidjan’s Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Tuesday night.

Second-half substitute Jayden Adams put the game to bed, rising smartly to head home fellow second- half substitute Oswin Appollis’ free-kick in the 84th minute. The win stretched Bafana’s unbeaten streak to 13 games, also tightening their grip at the top of Group C of these qualifiers.

Talismanic midfielder Teboho Mokoena was a notable absentee in the Bafana match-day squad. Mokoena is at the centre of a situation that threatens Bafana’s chances of qualifying for the World Cup and his absence may be seen as a precaution.

A few hour before kickoff in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, it came to the fore that Mokoena wasn’t supposed to have played in Bafana’s previous game, a 2-0 win over Lesotho in Polokwane last Friday, after collecting two yellow cards (against Benin and Zimbabwe in the first and fourth games of these qualifiers in 2023 and last year respectively), meaning he should’ve served an automatic one-game suspension against Likuena as per Fifa rules.

Bafana are now likely to be docked the three points they collected against Lesotho for using a defaulter. In Mokoena’s absence, Bafana coach Hugo Broos deployed two central midfielders in Bathusi Aubaas and Thalente Mbatha. Even if they lose three points, Bafana will remain top of Group C with 10 points, two more than second-placed Rwanda with four games left.

Bafana created better chances in the first stanza that was far from entertaining. SA’s best chance came in the 23rd minute when Lyle Foster nearly unleashed a shot inside the box with Benin defender Yohan Roche making a last-ditch block. Percy Tau, who was playing his 50th game in a Bafana shirt, was guilty of wasting a few half-chances as well.

Bafana continued to be a more purposeful side even in the second period, and it wasn’t by chance that Broos’ men took the lead in the 53rd minute, courtesy of Foster, whose not-so-tidy finish got the better of Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou by a few metres. Foster was nicely teed-up by Fawaaz Basadien after collecting a well-calculated long ball from Nkosinathi Sibisi.

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