Bafana Draw With Algeria

12 January 2013

International friendly

Teams: South Africa 0-0 Algeria

Date: 12 January 2013

Venue: Orlando Stadium

South Africa drew 0-0 with Algeria on Saturday in their final friendly before the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, taking place on home soil.

Bafana Bafana, who will open CAF's showpiece event against Cape Verde on January 19, enjoyed the lion's share of possession early on but struggled to threaten in the final third at Orlando Stadium.

There was a brief moment of excitement when Thulani Serero floated in a telling cross from the right, however, Kagisho Dikgacoi failed to connect with his overhead kick in the 20th minute.

The visitors, though, fashioned two decent chances four minutes later, as Foued Kadir and Hamer Bouazza shot off target from promising positions.

Algeria defender Essaid Belkalem will feel he could have done better in the 35th minute when he hooked a volley off a corner down and over the cross bar.

Bafana hitman Katlego Mphela had a great opportunity in the 41st minute, as he shot straight at goalkeeper Rias M'Bohli following a defensive lapse from the north Africans.

Kaizer Chiefs striker Bernard Parker then triggered a fine diving stop from M'Bohli with a curling effort on the run, while at the other end Belkalem headed over a Bouazza free-kick just before the interval.

Algeria started the second stanza brightly, as Islam Slimani rattled the side-netting in the 50th minute after getting on the end of Belkalem's intelligent ball to the far post. Khune, though, had it covered.

Six minutes later Khune, who earned his 50th cap on the night, was perfectly positioned to comfortably collect Slimani's curling attempt after the Algerian cut in smartly off the right flank.

Bafana substitute Reneilwe Letsholonyane, on for Furman, tried his luck in the 57th minute but the Amakhosi ball-winner scuffed his shot as it rolled wide of the upright.

Club teammate Siphiwe Tshabalala, a replacement for Serero, drilled a menacing volley narrowly over the cross bar in the 65th minute.

Neither side could gain the initiative in the latter stages of the evenly contested fixture.

South Africa: Itumeleng Khune, Anele Ngcongca (Gaxa 46'), Thabo Matlaba, Bongani Khumalo, Siyabonga Sangweni, Kagisho Dikgacoi, Thuso Phala, Dean Furman (Letsholonyane 54'), Katlego Mphela (Rantie 60'), Thulani Serero (Tshabalala 53'), Bernard Parker.

Algeria: Rias M'Bohli, Mehdi Mostefa-Sbaa, Essaid Belkalem, Djamel Mesbah, Islam Slimani (Aoudia 78', Sofiane Feghouli (Boudebouz 81'), Hamer Bouazza, Carl Medjani (Halliche 58'), Foued Kadir (Soudani 58'), Adlane Guedioura (Tedjar 76'), Khaled Lemmouchia (Cadamuro 62').