March 24, (THEWILL) – Bafana Bafana suffered a major setback in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia on Friday night, as they allowed their two-goal lead to slip and settled for a 2-2 draw at the Orlando Stadium.
The hosts, led by coach, Hugo Broos, got off to a brilliant start as Lyle Foster scored twice in the first 22 minutes – the first from the penalty spot and the second from a corner kick.
However, Tonia Tisdell came off the bench for the visitors and pulled one back on 68 minutes, before Mohammed Sangare’s stunning strike in stoppage time sealed the draw for Liberia.
Bafana Bafana found themselves under pressure right from the start of the game, as the visitors closed them down and gave them very little time on the ball. However, they managed to take the lead after just 10 minutes when Foster converted a penalty after Tommy Songo conceded a penalty for catching Percy Tau with a high boot.
Foster then doubled the hosts’ lead with a glancing header from a corner kick. Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, Bafana Bafana were unable to add to their lead, and were punished for their wastefulness as Liberia fought back to claim a point through Tisdell and Sangare.
The draw leaves Bafana Bafana in second place in Group C, level on points with Ghana but behind on goal difference. They will need to bounce back quickly if they are to qualify with tough ties against Ghana and Sudan still to come. Meanwhile, Liberia will be delighted with their comeback on the road.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
