Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana talisman Themba Zwane has expressed his delight at finally scoring again and praised the squad’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Ivory Coast.
Playing with a Springboks-like spirit, Bafana held Ivory Coast to a 1-1 draw in an international friendly at a packed Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan on Tuesday night.
Zwane’s goal in the eighth minute gave South Africa hope of a stunning upset against Ivory Coast. However, the Elephants rallied in the second half and equalised through Sebastien Haller’s free header in the 65th minute.
Before the game, Bafana coach Hugo Broos had stated that his team should learn from the resilience and determination shown by the Springboks in their thrilling victory over France in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals at the weekend.
Broos’ remarks came after Bafana performed poorly in a 0-0 draw against lowly-ranked Eswatini at the FNB Stadium on Friday.
The two friendlies against Ivory Coast and Eswatini formed part of Bafana’s preparation for next month’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in January.
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THEMBA ZWANE HAPPY TO BE BACK ON THE SCORESHEET FOR BAFANA
“For me, I was just happy. I was just happy for myself because it’s been a while since I scored, so I was just happy and looking forward to scoring another goal,” said Mamelodi Sundowns star Zwane.
“The plan went according to the way we wanted. We tried to contain them, and whenever they wanted to play those through passes, we tried to cut them and play through the counter.
“I think we created more chances, and we should’ve taken them and settled the game as early as possible, but overall, as a team, we did well.
“We showed our quality, were brave on the ball, and did well as a team. We understand each other and me personally. I’m happy with the team.”