Hosts
South Africa played out a disappointing goalless draw with newcomers
Cape Verde in the opening game of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bafana
Bafana struggled to overcome their tag as a side who struggle to score
goals, failing to create clear-cut chances in the Johannesburg rain.
Cape Verde had the best opportunity of the game, with striker Platini dragging his close-range shot badly wide.
The result, however, gives the Blue Sharks their first Nations Cup point.
South
Africa coach Gordon Igesund, who kept his team selection a
closely-guarded secret before kick-off, opted for newcomer Lehlohonolo
Majoro to start up front instead of the more experienced Katlego Mphela.
The
home side's midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala set the tone early on,
shooting his free-kick straight at Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozhina, who
initially spilled it in the slippery conditions, before gathering.
Cape
Verde then carved out what would prove to be the best goal-scoring
chance of the match, with Platini finding himself clean through on goal,
only to drag his shot badly wide, when he should have done much better.
The
wet conditions played their part in a mainly scrappy first half, with
South Africa struggling to link up play between midfielders
Thuso
Phala and Tshabalala and strikers Bernard Parker and Majoro and Cape
Verde's main attacking threats Heldon Ramos and Ryan Mendes unable to
find the target.
Both sides found themselves
restricted to long-range efforts, with South Africa's Thuso Phala and
the Blue Sharks' Mendes and Babanco floating their free-kicks off target
from outside the box.
Tshabalala then lobbed one
high to the far post, only for Phala to stab it wide. Mendes replied by
slicing his close-range effort high and wide, after gathering at the far
post from a corner.
The hosts, seeking their
first Nations Cup win since 2004, continued to pump long balls up the
pitch, rather than play through midfield, with Cape Verde centre-backs
Fernando Varela and Nando dealing with them comfortably.
Igesund
responded to the stalemate at the interval, taking off Crystal Palace
midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi for Lerato Chabangu, whose first
contribution was to try an ambitious overhead kick, which flew
off-target.
Bafana
Bafana striker Parker almost evaded the solid Cape Verde defence,
before being confidently cut out by centre-half Fernando Varela.
Parker
then burst through minutes later, before being stopped by Varela once
more, prompting a penalty appeal from the home bench, which was
correctly waved away by the referee.
The penalty shout upped the tempo of the game, which briefly became niggly, with Platini going in the book for pushing over
South Africa goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, before being replaced by Julio Tavares.
Helton
went close to breaking the deadlock, with his header forcing Khune to
scramble across his goal to push the attempt away to safety.
Bafana
Bafana increased the urgency as they chased a winner - with Khumalo
heading over from close range in injury time - but they failed to carve
out an all-important opening, much to Igesund's disappointment.
Cape
Verde - representing a group of islands, with a population of just over
500,000 - celebrated their first Nations Cup point enthusiastically on
the whistle, while Igesund's side trudged off, pondering their fourth
blank in five games.
South Africa coach Gordon Igesund:
"The guys were very, very nervous out there. I've never seen them like this.
"The first half was a complete waste of 45 minutes.
"We got a point. I don't think we deserve too much more than that, to be honest."
Cape Verde coach Luico Antunes:
"I'm happy with the performance of the team.
"It'll make Cape Verde's 500,000 people happy. Today, I can hold my head up high.
"It [the result] means that our team has been well organised. Not conceding goals makes the team more confident."
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