adminJOHANNESBURG. — South Africa beat Sudan 2-1 on Saturday in their first match since the slaying of captain Senzo Meyiwa to reach the African Cup of Nations soccer finals, where they were joined by Cameroon and Senegal. South Africa top Group A with 11 points from five matches, meaning they will now not be under pressure when they visit Nigeria on Wednesday.
Ajax midfielder Thulani Serero scored his first international goal for South Africa in the 38th minute, when he slotted home a cut-back from inside the box to give Bafana Bafana the lead in Durban, the home city of Meyiwa.
Tokelo Rantie then doubled the advantage in the 53rd minute, when he dribbled his way past his markers before stabbing home past the Sudan goalkeeper.
Sudan pulled a goal back through Al Hilal forward Salah Ibrahim in the 77th minute from close range.
Meyiwa (27), the goalkeeper and captain of the South Africa team, was gunned down by an intruder at the home of his pop singer girlfriend south of Johannesburg on October 26.
After Saturday’s game, new goalkeeper Darren Keet dedicated the win to Meyiwa, paying tribute to his friend by sporting a moving, handwritten quote from The Bible on his gloves.
“The verse on there (the gloves) was John 15:17, where it says, ‘there’s no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend’. I’m emotional of course, he was a great friend of mine,” said the 25-year-old.
“I just want to pay tribute and honour him.”
Defending champions Nigeria beat Congo Brazzaville 2-0 to revive their bid to qualify.
Second-half goals by Ikechukwu Uche and Aaron Samuel in Pointe-Noire boosted Nigeria’s prospects of making it to Equatorial Guinea, who stepped in as hosts on Friday in place of barred Morocco.
Nigeria now have to beat South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday to ensure automatic qualification regardless of Congo’s result in Sudan.
Villarreal striker Uche celebrated his long-awaited return to the Super Eagles in style when in the 59th minute he tucked away a penalty after Congo goalkeeper Massa fouled goal-bound Emmanuel Emenike.
Congo failed to draw level in the 65th minute, when Vincent Enyeama saved a penalty taken by Thievy Bifouma after Godfrey Oboabona handled a goal-bound shot inside his box.
Substitute Samuel then made the game safe for Nigeria a minute from full-time when he struck from inside the box.
Cameroon edged past DR Congo 1-0 to claim Group D and a spot in the finals courtesy of a 71st-minute winner from Vincent Aboubakar in Yaounde.
Zambia pipped hosts Mozambique 1-0 in Maputo to qualify in Group F with table toppers Cape Verde, while Burkina Faso and Gabon qualified from Group C.
Burkina Faso beat Lesotho 1-0 in Maseru and Gabon held Angola to a goalless draw in Luanda.
Guinea blew open Group E after they trounced Togo 4-1 in Lome, and they now have to beat Uganda by more than a 2-0 scoreline in their final match at home on Wednesday to book their ticket to the finals. — AFP.
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