Phakamani Mahlambi inspired the South African Under-23 side to a 1-0 win over Tunisia to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic qualifying tournament on Friday night.
The top three teams in the Eight Nations competition will qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and now South Africa are just one step away from making it to Brazil. South Africa needed just a draw on Friday to go through to the playoffs.
Wits’ 18-year-old star midfielder Mahlambi was surprisingly left on the substitutes’ bench by SA U23 coach Owen da Gama at the Caroline Faye Stadium in M’Bour, Senegal, with Siphelele Ntshangase preferred to start.
And it resulted in the South Africans’ lacking the attacking punch in midfield that they had in previous games with Mahlambi present, as his eye-catching speed and skill had troubled the Senegalese and Zambian defences.
But when Mahlambi was eventually brought on for Siphelele Ntshangase in the 62nd minute, it sparked the South Africans’ revival. Suddenly they looked like threatening the Tunisian goal, with much more movement on attack from captain Keagan Dolly, Menzi Masuku and Gift Motupa.
Mahlambi had the speed across the ground to attract defenders when he didn’t have the ball, while he was also a handful to stop when in possession.
Source: iol.co.za
