CAPE TOWN — Tarik Elyounoussi’s strike late in the first half was enough to earn Norway a 1-0 victory over South Africa in an international friendly at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday night. Report by Supersport
The match was used by Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund as preparation or the upcoming 2013 Africa Cup of Nations while the domestic home-based Norwegian players are fine tuning for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Bafana got better as the game went on, but they missed plenty of scoring chances as Norway defended their one goal lead.
In the 16th minute Bafana had their first real opportunity to open the scoring when Reneilwe Letsholonyane’s pin-point pass found Katlego Mphela and the Sundowns forward outsprinted the Norwegian defence but his effort from close was blocked by keeper Rune Almenning Jarstein.
The visitors tested the South African keeper for the first time in the match when Bjorn Helge Riise fired a stinging shot in the 25th minute and Khune saved. Mphela was again denied by Jarstein when Tsepo Masilela sent in a ball from the left wing and Mphela’s header was parried away for a corner in the 36 minute.
The Norwegians took the lead four minutes before the break. The South African defence was caught ball watching and the captain unleashed a left footed strike from inside the box.
Ten minutes into the second half Bafana Bafana nearly got the equaliser when Thuso Phala released Rantie whose shot was saved by the keeper from close range and the rebound fell again to Phala, but his effort was cleared off the line.
From then onwards Bafana Bafana threatened, but found no clear-cut opportunities until the 83rd minute as they played in patches and lost rhythm especially in the last third of the field.
