THIS was just what the doctor ordered!
Bafana Bafana staged a magnificent fight back to cruise into Saturday’s final of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Cup beating a 10-man Swaziland 5-1 at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia, last night.
It will be Bafana’s fourth Cosafa Cup final having won the competition three times.
Bafana head coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba complained this week that his side were not clinical enough and not scoring enough goals.
His players answered his criticism in the best possible way by demolishing Swaziland in a powerful attacking display in the second half.
Bafana trailed 1-0 at the break, thanks to a well taken goal from Swaziland’s skipper and veteran midfielder Tony Tsabedze.
Bafana looked the better side in the opening half and had plenty of possession but again finishing let them down. But it was a different story in the second half.
Mashaba and his assistant, Owen da Gama, who is also the SA Under-23 coach, opted to field an under-23 squad with the exception of 24-year-old Pieterse at this event in a bid to help the SA U-23s prepare for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.
Swaziland suffered a double blow in the 51st minute when defender Siyabonga Mdluli received a second yellow card and was sent off while conceding a free kick on the edge of the area that was rifled home by new Orlando Pirates recruit Thabiso Kutumela.
Sensing blood Bafana went for the jugular and went 2-1 ahead when Lebo Phiri’s shot was deflected into the Swaziland net on 57 minutes.
Three minutes later super sub Menzi Masuku made it 3-1 and then Mpumalanga Black Aces promising striker Judas Moseamedi scored his first international goal when he blasted home on 75 minutes to make it 4-1.
Masuku put the cherry on top with the fifth goal seven minutes from time.
