Bafana Bafana were made to pay for their wastefulness after letting slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Liberia in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Orlando Stadium on Friday evening.
Hugo Broos' side got off to a flying start when Lyle Foster opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 10 minutes and the Burnley striker was on hand to head home a corner in the 22nd minute.
But Tonia Tisdell stepped off the bench to pull one back for the Lone Stars on 68 minutes before Mohammed Sangare silenced the home crowd with a stunning strike in stoppage time to earn a share of the spoils.
Bafana Bafana fail to make their home advantage count as Liberia comeback from 2-0 down to force a 2-2 draw courtesy of this Mohammed Sangare strike.#TotalEnergiesAFCONQ2023 pic.twitter.com/KdigPZXxYu
— SuperSport Football ?? (@SSFootball) March 24, 2023
Bafana were given very little time on the ball in the opening stages as the visitors closed them down at every opportunity.
Ansumana Keita's team were presented with an early chance after just three minutes when Percy Tau made a lazy challenge on Oscar Dorley 30 yards out and Ronwen Williams got fingertips to Mohammed Kamara's curling free-kick towards the near post.
However, Tommy Songo conceded a penalty at the other end on 10 minutes after misjudging the bounce of the ball and catching Tau with a high boot. Foster wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a stuttering run-up to tuck his spot-kick into the bottom right corner of the net.
Foster stuck again just 12 minutes later as he steered a glancing header into the bottom right corner of the net at the near post from a corner on the left to double the hosts' lead.
Bongokuhle Hlongwane should have made it 3-0 on 24 minutes when he latched onto a defensive mistake just inside the area but could only clip the outside of the left post from 14 yards out and the Minnesota United forward failed to hit the target once more in the 28th minute after cutting inside from the left.
Teboho Mokoena tried his luck from long range out on the left in the 38th minute after being picked out by Aubrey Modiba, although his shot drifted to the right of the goal.
Williams was alert to the danger moments later when he tipped the ball over the crossbar from Dorley's mis-queued cross just inside the opposition half on the left.
VENOMOUS STRIKE
Bafana continued to search for more goals in the second half and Tau had the ball in the back of the net on 53 minutes after beating Songo at his right post with a free-kick 25 yards out on the right but it was chalked off because the set-piece should have been taken indirectly.
Tau was denied by a fine save from Songo just two minutes later when he surged down the right flank and advanced into the box before cutting back onto his right foot to get off an angled shot, while Mokoena lashed a first-time strike wide of the right post from 12 yards out after a cutback on the right deflected into his path.
Only moments after Terrence Tisdell had fired straight at Williams from range, Tau wasted a glorious opportunity in the 63rd minute when he missed the target from 12 yards out following a superb touch to bring Thapelo Morena's long ball under control.
The North Africans gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the 68th minute as Tisdell made an immediate impact off the bench to score with a low free-kick from a tight angle on the right which sneaked inside the near post through a packed goalmouth.
Monnapule Saleng only succeeded in steering a cross straight into the gloves of Song on 75 minutes as he attempted to pick out Foster in the middle and Aubrey Modiba forced the keeper into a good save at his near post with a free-kick just outside the area on the right in the 78th minute.
Saleng rushed his shot from inside the box on the left in the 83rd minute after pouncing on a loose pass and Williams pulled off a sharp save to prevent Dorley from equalising at the back post in the final minute after Mark Pabai's dinked cross only had been half cleared.
But Liberia restored parity just two minutes later when Sangare advanced towards goal from the right and beat Williams with a venomous strike from 22 yards out.
South Africa (2) 2 (Foster 11', 22')
Liberia (0) 2 (Tisdell 68', Sangare 90+1')
South Africa: R. Williams, T. Morena, S. Xulu, M. Mvala, A. Modiba, L. Le Roux, T. Mokoena, P. Tau (M. Mayambela 86'), T. Zwane (S. Sithole 70'), B. Hlongwane (M. Saleng 70'), L. Foster (C. Mailula 80').
Liberia: T. Songo, M. Pabai, S. Dweh, P. Balde, J. Arago (A. Njie 46'), N. Kenneh (M. Sangare 46'), J. Adukor (M. Macauley 67'), Ter. Tisdell (Ton. Tisdell 67'), O. Dorley, W. Jebor (P. Wilson 72'), M. Kamara.