Mokoena rescues point for South Africa against Czechia and relieves pressure on Broos
Teboho Mokoena of South Africa celebrates after scoring a penalty. Pic: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
They can put the matches away, at least for a little while. Before this game the South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, had responded to fierce criticism for how his side had started the World Cup by revealing that eight months ago, having qualified for the competition, a friend told him they would erect of a statue of him and that he had said: “Make it out of wood; that way it will burn more easily when I lose.” Defeated 2-0 by Mexico, they were seven minutes away from following that up with a 1-0 loss to Czechia, left with no points, no goals and not much hope either. But then, almost from nowhere, a penalty allowed them to live to fight another day, the bonfire avoided for now.
Teboho Mokoena was the man that scored it and what it meant could be seen not just in the way that he celebrated but in the tears that had rolled down his face during the national anthem. A draw is not a great result and it was not a great game but there was a smile at the end, and hope too. South Africa can still go through: victory over South Korea would virtually guarantee it; a win for the Czechs would see them through too. Whether they are capable of securing one is a different matter.
“This will be different,” the Czech head coach, Miroslav Koubek, said after his side’s 2-1 defeat by South Korea. Yet the beginning did not scream improvement. They had only been playing 45 seconds when a long, looped cross from the left found Patrik Schick all alone at the far post, barely six yards out. It was as if South Africa had yet to start playing and as if the striker had not either, like he did not expect it to reach him in the first place. With the ball falling from a height and the contact weak, his attempt on goal, if it could be called that, dribbled apologetically wide.
If the header was not great, Broos’s side were worse in those opening stages. Accused of being too negative against Mexico; here they could have done with a little more negativity, some of what Carlo Ancelotti likes to call pessimistic defending. Czechia were dominating; South Africa were allowing them to and they found themselves a goal down after just five minutes.
Czechia’s second World Cup goal began in the same way as their first: from a throw-in. Up the line it went, Adam Hlozek escaping into a wide space on the left and pulling the ball across an almost empty area. Khuliso Mudau watched it pass and watched two opponents do the same. Wondering whether to stay or go, by the time he had decided it was too late and he was caught in the middle. The defender’s mistimed step towards the ball made up the attacker’s mind. With one neat touch, Alexandr Sojka took Mudau out the game and set up Michal Sadilek to finish.
South Africa appeared out of it, Czechia cutting through them easily and accumulating four shots inside 10 minutes. A deflected effort from Oswin Appollis which hit the side netting was South Africa’s first on 12 minutes, but at least they had turned up. At least now it felt like a game, at least they were playing. Iqraam Rayners could not get to a Mudau cross inside the six-yard area but there was life at last and a lovely move out from the back saw the full-back get in just after the hour. From a neat set-up, Mokoena thumped it over from 25 yards. Just before the break, Matej Kovar dropped the ball at the feet of Thapelo Maseko, but his shot was blocked. South Africa were in this; Czechia had invited them to be.
But as the second half began they sought to reassert themselves once more, Sadilek getting free to find Vladimir Darida, whose poor touch meant it came to nothing. Schick’s header was then easily stopped by Ronwen Williams and a cross from Sojka was cleared by Mokoena before Jaroslav Zeleny’s clever pass almost set up Sadilek. All of which might make it sound like a goal was more imminent than it really was and soon the game became a more cautious affair. For South Africa only Appollis offered any real glimpse of invention. Not much happened in the period before, to more boos, referee Tori Penso sent the players to the touchline for more drinks they did not need and a team talk they probably did.
South Africa needed something in the fourth quarter, that was for sure. Even if it was just a reaction, a flash of anger, maybe even fear. What they got was a gift. Czechia had let them play, which did not seem like the worst plan given how little they could create, but from nowhere in particular it came to pass. Coming inside from the right, Thapelo Maseko had a go from outside the area; the ball hit Pavel Sulc on the arm and Penso did not hesitate. From the spot, Mokoena scored. He ran to the corner, thumping at the badge, as teammates ran after him from the pitch and the bench.
South Africa were alive. They were pushing too, the final 10 minutes or so offering more than the previous 80 had: here was some excitement at the end. Lukas Porovd struck wide at one end and suddenly, in the fifth minute of added time, Evidence Makgopa was in, only to hit straight at the goalkeeper. There was still time for one more Aubrey Modiba effort, who was blocked by David Zima. That really would have been a firestarter.
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