Gift Motupa kept the South African Under-23 team’s hopes alive of qualifying for the Rio Olympics with two goals in three minutes in a 3-2 win over Zambia in Senegal on Tuesday.
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The Orlando Pirates star, along with club teammate Menzi Masuku, were the driving forces behind South Africa’s inspired start to the second half after the Zambians had taken the lead 10 minutes before halftime.
What made their performances even more remarkable was the fact that the midfield pair only arrived in Dakar on Monday evening for the Eight Nations Olympic qualifying tournament after featuring for the Buccaneers in the Caf Confederations Cup final second leg in Tunisia on Sunday.
Masuku got the ball rolling for Owen da Gama’s side two minutes after the break when he took the initiative and controlled a bouncing ball inside the Zambian penalty area. Somehow the pint-sized midfielder forced his way through the defence and got the decisive shot away that beat Zambian goalkeeper Toaster Nsabata.
That was the spark the South Africans needed after a lacklustre display in the opening 45 minutes, where the Under-23s were unable to finish off a number of scoring chances after good build-up play. The likes of captain Keagan Dolly, left wing Dumisani Zuma and Wits teenager Phakamani Mahlambi were lively throughout, but the last touch was lacking in the first half.
But after Masuku showed the way, his fellow Pirates star Motupa followed suit. A superb set-piece move from a Dolly corner saw central defender Kwanda Mngonyama heading the ball from the edge of the box, and he found Motupa, who beat Nsabata with another header to give South Africa a 2-1 lead after 52 minutes
Source:iol.co.za
