Substitute Thabang Sibanyoni’s 60th-minute strike at a blustery Wolfson Stadium earned South Africa a second win, and a big step towards the knockout stages, after the strictly fringe Bafana B combination had begun with a 1-0 win against Botswana on Tuesday.
The South Africans were largely disjointed for large periods of the game against an Eswatini determined to put in a shift defensively and hold their bigger-name neighbours. But when it counted Bafana again found the penetration for the decisive goal. Eswatini grinded hard to make life tough for the South Africans. But the possession that Bafana had in long periods could not be turned into a threat in the final third.
Mozambican referee Wilson Muiange, having earlier booked the playmaker, reached for a second yellow card and consequent red.It was Eswatini, though, who forced the first save of the game moments in, as from Ndzinisa’s speculative chip right winger Fanele Mamba beat right-back Mashweu Mphahlele to burst through in the middle, captain Veli Mothwa making the stop.