AfricaNews sports desk monitoring Photo: Jubilant supporters of SA during the WC bid victory
The beleaguered national team of South Africa sent the strong side of Cameroon wailing yesterday as the former floored the latter in a 3:2 friendly game. Bafana Bafana's Bernard Parker bagged his fourth goal in three internationals to bring back the smiles on the faces of the 2010 World Cup hosts.
The striker pounced on a rebound eight minutes from time after goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni saved from Thulasizwe Mbuyane, Reuters news agency reported. Cameroon had fought back from 2-0 down following Teko Modise's double strike for the hosts in the annual challenge match honouring former South Africa president Nelson Mandela.
Modise drove the ball in from the edge of the area after six minutes before producing a similar effort 17 minutes later following a through pass by Benni McCarthy. Cameroon, without several regulars including Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o, pulled a goal back in the 27th when Daniel Ngom Kome curled home a free kick.
Austrian-based striker Somen Tchoyi then grabbed his first international goal with a back-post header from a 34th-minute free kick. Modise missed a golden chance to claim a hat-trick when his 89th-minute penalty was superbly tipped away by Kameni.
It was South Africa's fourth win in a row following their early elimination from the 2010 African Nations Cup.
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