Mexico made a good start and I was left wondering why South Africa looked so listless against the Mexican team in the first half. Mokoena was huffing and puffing.. buzzing around Galastargay's Gio dos Santos but to no avail. It only looked a matter of time before they scored but Khune kept South Africa in the game.
Dos Santos is a player i have admired for a while and maybe he shouldn't have come to England so early in his career. Yesterday he was at the centre of the action for El Tri, making some great dribbly runs and causing problems for the South Afrcan Defence. Floated a couple of lovely balls in from just outside the box. Olivier Perez was hardly tested in the 1st half but showed confidence, coming off his line well. Mexico had a goal disallowed after 37 minutes, and it WASN'T a goal. In charging for the cross, Khune — who failed to touch the ball — had played Vela offside.
Ten minutes into the second half South Africa produced their first real attacking play on the counter and Tsabalala scored with a lovely goal. After that the Bafana Bafana grew in Confidence and served up some delightful attacking plays. Everton's intelligent playmaker Steven Pienaar had been the heartbeat of all those attacks, with some good passes to play his strikers in. Why he was substituted beats me. And that too with Bernard Parker, who can never possess the same exuberance and eye for scoring oppurtunities.
Mexico scored their long overdue goal in the 79th, when Guardado found Rafa Marquez unmarked in the box, soft goal conceded. Mexico should have won this one, but they lacked the finish and the heart, corrupting their attacking potential by erupting into chaos after South Africa had scored their goal. Unless they put in an improved performance in their later matches, they don't deserve to make the second round.
All of South Africa is celebrating. Their side, once they overcame their nervousness, had showed they belong.
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