Bafana roast Swazis

26 March 2015 - 02:08 By Sports reporter

Substitute Mandla Masango's 86th-minute goal crowned a convincing 3-1 victory for Bafana Bafana in their friendly international against Swaziland in Mbabane last night. Bafana have now won all five matches involving their neighbours. After a first half shaded by the Swazis, though with neither side creating clear scoring chances, Bafana struck a double blow just after the break.Black Leopards playmaker Siphelele Ntshangase, on for Lehlohonolo Majoro just before halftime, earned the free-kick from which captain on the night Thulani Hlatshwayo headed in Bafana's 51st-minute opener.A minute later Thulani Serero laid on the pass for Thabo Mnyamane to score Bafana's second.Swaziland pulled one back in the 65th minute through the Mbabane Swallows playmaker, Felix Badenhorst, who played for Jomo Cosmos from 2009 to 2011.The attacker slotted past Jackson Mabokgwane. Mpumalanga Black Aces' goalkeeper Mabokgwane had replaced Itumeleng Khune at the break.Shakes Mashaba had Khune back in a Bafana line-up for the first time in the coach's tenure.The goalkeeper had not played for South Africa since the 3-1 win against Mozambique in the opening match of the African Nations Championship in Cape Town in January last year.Khune missed Bafana's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations' qualifying campaign under Mashaba after an ankle bone injury was detected in September.Mashaba brought back Ajax Amsterdam attacker Serero.He was dropped from the Afcon squad after missing a training camp. Serero formed part of a frontline that had some firepower and included in-form Orlando Pirates' striker Majoro and Belgian-based Ayanda Patosi.Debuts were handed to Bloemfontein Celtic right-back Thapelo Morena, Free State Stars centre-back Daniel Cardoso, Polokwane City midfielder Cole Alexander and Pretoria University forward Mnyamane.FC Twente midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo played alongside Alexander in central midfield. Mashaba was facing his old team - Swaziland - the only national team he has coached other than Bafana.Mashaba coached Sihlangu Semnikati from 2008 to 2010.The match was not televised on SABC. SABC head group communications Kaizer Kganyago said the broadcaster could not receive a feed from Swaziland."We were supposed to get a feed from Swazi TV, but they sent us a message saying they don't have capacity," he said yesterday.The SABC will televise the Bafana friendly against Nigeria at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on Sunday. It's the SABC's last game before its broadcast contract ends. ..

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