South Africa kept their FIFA World Cup hopes alive after battling back to secure a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in their second Group A match on Friday.
Bafana Bafana entered the contest under pressure following their 2-0 defeat to the tournament hosts in the opening round and looked set for another disappointing result before a late penalty rescued a valuable point.
The Czech Republic made a bright start and took the lead just six minutes into the game. A well-worked passing move inside the penalty area ended with Michal Sadílek finding the back of the net with a precise low finish to put the Europeans ahead.
South Africa struggled to settle in the opening stages but gradually grew into the contest. They enjoyed more possession and created several promising attacks, although a lack of composure in front of goal prevented them from finding an equaliser before halftime.
The Czech Republic carried their one-goal advantage into the break and nearly doubled it early in the second half, with their aerial threat from set pieces causing problems for the South African defence.
As the match progressed, South Africa pushed forward in search of a breakthrough. Coach-led tactical changes injected fresh energy into the side, while the Czech Republic increasingly dropped deeper to protect their slender lead.
With time running out, South Africa finally found a way back into the game. In the 83rd minute, the referee awarded a penalty after a handball inside the Czech Republic penalty area. Mokoena stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the scores at 1-1.
The equaliser sparked a frantic finish as both teams searched for a winning goal. Seven minutes of stoppage time were added, but neither side could find the decisive breakthrough despite a tense and entertaining conclusion.
The result leaves both teams with one point from two matches, meaning qualification to the knockout stage will be decided in their final Group A fixtures.
Bafana Bafana next plays South Korea next on Thursday 25th June from 4.am [EAT] while Czech republic lock horns with Hosts Mexico..
