The South African U-23 side staged a remarkable comeback to beat Algeria 3-1 in an international friendly match held at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Thursday. The match was part of the team's preparations for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games under coach Raymond Mdaka. The team started with several players who have experience in the Premier Soccer League, including captain Neo Rapoo and Mpho Padime.
Algeria took the lead in the 45th minute through Yanis Senhadji, who scored after the South African defence was caught ball-watching. However, the hosts had created several chances before the goal, with Mfundo Vilakazi and Kutlwano Letlhaku failing to find the back of the net. The first real chance for South Africa came after 23 minutes when Siviwe Magidigidi released Vilakazi with a defence-splitting pass, but he was denied by Algeria goalkeeper Mohamed-Aness Mokhtar.
Coach Mdaka made changes for the second half, introducing Quwan Plaatjies and Nhlanhla Gasa for Letlhaku and Magidigidi. The substitutions had an immediate impact, with Plaatjies levelling matters on his debut after 49 minutes when he combined with Gasa. Plaatjies has recently become the first PSL player to score a hat-trick on debut for Stellenbosch FC.
Gasa increased the lead five minutes later when he popped up unmarked inside the box to finish the ball as Algeria failed to deal with South Africa's attacking pace. The momentum of the match shifted in favour of South Africa, with the team dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities.
Further substitutions were made by Mdaka after the hour mark, with Gabriel Amato, Asekho Tiwani, Bohlale Ngwato, Faiz Abrahams, and Simphiwe Selepe replacing Camren Dansin, Rapoo, Vilakazi, Padime, and Dhakier Lee. Despite the changes, South Africa's momentum was not affected, and they scored their third goal after 73 minutes through Abrahams, who beat Algeria goalkeeper Mokhtar with a low shot from outside the box.
The second friendly match between South Africa and Algeria is scheduled to take place on Sunday. Coach Mdaka will look to build on the team's performance and make further adjustments as they prepare for the upcoming tournaments. The team's ability to come from behind and win the match will be a significant confidence booster for the players.
The win is a positive result for South Africa as they prepare for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The team's performance will be closely watched by fans and analysts as they look to make an impact in the tournaments.
Key points
- South Africa's U-23 team came from a goal down to beat Algeria 3-1 in a friendly match.
- The match was part of the team's preparations for the 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
- Substitutes Quwan Plaatjies, Nhlanhla Gasa, and Faiz Abrahams scored the goals for South Africa.
