Unimpressive South Africa edge Swaziland in friendly

May 29, 2008

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Lacklustre South Africa edged neighbours Swaziland 1-0 in a non-cap international friendly match at chilly Germiston Stadium Thursday.

Striker Katlego Mashego from champions SuperSport United scored the 77th-minute winner as Bafana Bafana (The Boys) prepared for a 2010 World Cup-African Nations Cup qualifier in Nigeria on Sunday.

Adding to the concerns of new South Africa coach Joel Santana after a woeful match was an injury to Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar, who limped off eight minutes before half-time.

Pienaar joins fellow midfielders Delron Buckley, Lerato Chabangu and Teko Modise on the casualty list ahead of the toughest fixture for South Africa in Group 4, which includes Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Santana, who replaced fellow Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira last month after the World Cup-winning coach quit to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro, fielded a different team in the second half.

But there was little improvement and the woodwork deprived Mxolisi Mtsetwa of an equaliser before a superb save by goalkeeper Rowan Fernandez from Siza Dlamini kept South Africa ahead.

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