South Africa finally managed to get an Afcon win in the final tournament since 2004 after beating Angola 2-0. A strike in each half from Siyabonga Sangweni and Lehlohonolo Majoro saw South Africa’s Bafana Bafana claim their first win in the 2013 African Cup of Nations as they beat Angola 2-0 in a Group A match at the Moses Mabhida stadium on Wednesday afternoon. South Africa dominated the opening proceedings but were wasteful in front of goal with Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker being the main culprit.
However, Angola should have gone infront after Mateus was allowed too much space on the ball as he drove towards the Bafana goal before unleashing a thunderous 30-yard shot which was well tipped around the post by Itumeleng Khune, diving full stretch to his left to make the fingertip save.
After that, however, it was all South Africa as they continued to be enterprising in the midfield, passing the ball about beautifully, getting themselves into good positions, but as we have become accustom their finishing was poor.
Nonetheless, Bafana continued to persist and they finally made the pressure pay on the half hour mark when Siyabonga Sangweni gave them the lead.
It was a superb left-footed volley from Sangweni who latched onto a Bernard Parker cross from the right flank. Angola failed to clear their lines and the central defender showed all the class of a striker with a clinical finish from six-yards out at an acute angle, 1-0.
After recess, Bafana almost doubled their lead in the first minute after a superb dribbling run by Parker which saw him beat three defenders before trying his luck from 22-yards out which was well saved by the Angolan keeper, diving low to his right, as the half ended 1-0 in favour of South Africa.
Angola, nonetheless, despite that scare continued to press forward and left themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack, and they were duly punished in the 62nd minute by substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro.
A swift counter attack saw Majoro using his pace to beat the last defender on the by-line before passing the ball through the legs of Lama from a tight angle at six-yards out, 2-0.
Moments later, Angola threw even more men forward, but despite the pressure on the Bafana defence, they held firm as Gordon Igesund’s men picked up their first win of the tournament to go top group A.