PITY the giant steel giraffes that encircle the Mbombela Stadium - they have to face outward at all times, like disciplined security officials, regardless of the spectacle unfolding inside.

Last night, those big dudes must have been sorely tempted to peek over their shoulders, such was the bizarre nature of the proceedings behind them.

This wasn't a football match: it was a cartoon show. Pitso Mosimane's men were comically dominant: they must have missed as many as 20 fantastic scoring opportunities. This was the time to bank a massive positive goal difference, because Bafana's group rivals, Egypt, will not be as generous when they get a crack at Niger.

Last night's visitors boast two footballers - their keeper and one striker - and nine clowns in shorts.

Nonetheless, Bafana's 2012 Nations Cup qualifying campaign has begun on course. How Niger somehow contrived to leave Nelspruit in one piece will puzzle Mosimane for a long time. He had forecast a measure of negativity from the Saharans, but it took a different form to the massed defence he expected.

These queens of the desert cannot defend for toffee, but they sure can act: the cabaret curtains went up as early as the second minute, when Kassaly Daouda took a long, whimpering power coma after receiving a gentle bump on the shoulder from Bongani Khumalo.

If anything, their diving only intensified the voltage inside the ground. Mbombela Stadium may have been a colossal waste of money, but it's a grand place to play football, because the local yokels are insanely excitable. Perhaps there's something in the Nelspruit water: they screamed all night, making the ground feel as big as Soccer City, even though it only houses 41000 fans.

Frustratingly, they didn't get the scoreline that their passion or Bafana's dominance deserved. But Mosimane will be justly proud of this new team's ability to attack directly and relentlessly. The ingrained caution of the Joel Santana era is a horrible, distant memory.

Katlego Mphela set the early tone with a sweet little dink over Daouda, thus equalling Phil Masinga's tally of 18 Bafana goals. But he should have gotten two more. And Bernard Parker is back with a big bang: his hooked volley to convert Anele Ngcongca's wonderful cross was a joy to witness. If only both strikers had been able to continue the good work.