Thalente Mbatha to Bafana’s rescue again with added-time winner in Juba

Thalente Mbatha dramatically came to Bafana Bafana's rescue for the second time in five days with another injury-time strike that earned his team a crucial 3-2 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win away to South Sudan on Tuesday.

A tricky match played in 33°C heat on an artificial surface at Juba National Stadium in the South Sudan capital of Juba seemed not to be going Bafana's way.

The South Africans conceded a 1-0 lead from a penalty by Tito Okello in the 15th minute, but hit straight back through Oswin Appollis's strike in the 17th.

Appollis made it 2-1 two minutes into first-half added time, but Bafana again conceded to Valentino Yuel's equalising strike in the 57th.

Super-sub Mbatha latched on to a half-cleared corner and struck from outside the box to score the winner in the 95th minute — the same time as his equaliser against Uganda.

Bafana's qualification for the 2025 Afcon seemed in serious danger as South Sudan looked to be holding them to a 2-2 draw.

Broos's men went into the match already under pressure after being held by Uganda at home.

After Tuesday, Uganda, who beat Congo 2-0 in Kampala on Monday, top Group K with four points on goal difference from Bafana. Congo are third with three points from their 1-0 win over South Sudan (zero points) in their opener in Brazzaville. 

Broos's team can gain control of the group if they win their back-to-back clashes against Congo on October 7 (home) and 15 (away).

Though South Africa put in a better performance than against Uganda, two mistakes by central defender Siyabonga Ngezana contributed to South Sudan nearly earning their first point.

But a name many Bafana supporters are unlikely to forget is that of Polokwane City winger Appollis. The 23-year-old scored a wonderful first-half brace.

After promising many changes, Broos only made two. Thapelo Morena replaced Elias Mokwana on the right of the attack while much-maligned goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, who made costly errors against Uganda, made way for Mbatha’s Orlando teammate Sipho Chaine.

Broos continued to believe in the error-prone Ngezana in the centre of defence where he continued to partner left-footed Kaizer Chiefs signing Rushwin Dortley, who had a fine debut against Uganda.

Bafana's central defence pairing and goalkeeping was the least experienced in these qualifiers as Broos also missed injured captain and keeper Ronwen Williams and centreback Mothobi Mvala.

The only defender Broos used with great effect to win bronze at the Nations Cup in Ivory Coast this year who was available was Grant Kekana. For some reason Broos preferred Ngezana.

The former Chiefs man committed the foul on Okello to help Sudan take the lead via the spot. Okello gave Chaine no chance with his spot kick.

Bafana did well to recover almost immediately with Appollis’s equaliser coming within moments of the restart, the highly rated Polokwane City prospect adding a second just before the break. 

Despite the extreme heat in which the match was played, with a heavy downpour replacing the heat in the latter stages, Bafana looked comfortably the better side. It was through the slick combination of skipper Themba Zwane and Aubrey Modiba that Appollis equalised.

Teboho Mokoena, Lyle Foster, Modiba and Khuliso Mudau were among those who wasted chances before Appollis gave Bafana the lead.

Appollis showed his senior teammates how to finish, coolly slotting after Foster's shot had hit the upright when he had been set free by Zwane.

Ngezana was at fault again for South Sudan's equaliser as he slipped and fell instead of clearing the ball in front of Yuel, who was given an easy chance to stab home.

But as at Orlando, Mbatha had the last say with a well-taken strike after South Sudan failed to clear a corner. The winner came after Bafana had wasted a glut of chances before Broos brought on Relebohile Mofokeng, Mokwana and Mbatha to change things.