Vintage Zwane sparks with a brace as Bafana tame African giants Algeria in 6-goal thriller

Veteran playmaker Themba Zwane dazzled with a stellar performance, netting twice to match Yassine Benzia's brace as Bafana Bafana (ranked 58th) and Algeria (43rd) played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in a FIFA Series clash at the Nelson Mandela Stadium on Tuesday.

Benzia broke the deadlock midway through the first half, catching the Bafana defence off guard, but Zwane swiftly responded, equalising with a sublime finish assisted by Mihlali Mayambela.

Zwane then gave Bafana the lead just before half-time with a sensational solo effort, skillfully manoeuvring through the Algerian defence before finding the net with a precise strike off the upright.

Yacine Brahimi levelled the scores at 2-2 early in the second half, but Iqraam Rayners restored Bafana's advantage with a deft touch from Elias Mokwana's shot for his first goal under Hugo Broos.

Benzia completed his double with an acrobatic overhead kick, leaving the Bafana defence and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams bewildered.

The draw, which comes four days after being held 1-1 by lowly-ranked Andorra, also marks Broos's tenth stalemate as Bafana boss in 32 matches since taking charge in May 2021.

Broos and his Bafana troops will now regroup in May after the conclusion of the domestic season, shifting their focus to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

An away fixture against Nigeria is scheduled for 4 June, followed by a home match against Zimbabwe on 11 June.

FULL-TIME: Bafana Bafana 3-3 Algeria

That's it, folks. What a game. What a treat.

87' Teboho Mokoena's right-footed attempt from outside the box is on target, but the Algerian goalkeeper makes a crucial save in the top right corner. Grant Margeman provided the assist for South Africa's opportunity.

80' Ten minutes remaining, Mayo enters the fray in place of Rayners.

Algeria equalises once more in under five minutes, with Yassine Benzia displaying remarkable composure.

He calmly controls the assist from Mounsef Bakrar, deftly tapping it into the air before executing a powerful volley over a Bafana defender and past Ronwen Williams.

This match is truly living up to its excitement.

Mokwana, who had just entered the fray, makes a dazzling rub from the right flank into Algeria's penalty area. He whips a strike that curls, but the moving head of Rayners finds the ball and Bafana take the lead. 

63' Broos reaches for his bench.

Grant Margeman replaces Thabang Monare as Elias Mokwana comes on for Oswin Appollis.

A goalkeeping error by Williams gifts Algeria with an equaliser. But it was coming no matter how it occurred. The home side had been all over Bafana since the whistle sounded for the second stanza. 

Yacine Brahimi of Algeria takes a right-footed shot from the center of the box, finding the bottom left corner of the goal. He was assisted by Yassine Benzia.

45' And we're back. The whistle for the second half sounds. 

Double substitution for Algeria.

Ramiz Zerrouki replaces Nabil Bentaleb, while Ahmed Kendouci comes on for Mohammed Amoura.

HALF-TIME: Bafana Bafana 2-1 Algeria

Bafana Bafana go into the break in the lead courtesy of a Themba Zwane brace against Algeria at the Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Yassine Benzia opened the scoring after some poor defensive lapses from Hugo Broos's troops before Zwane stepped up twice.

First, he leapt onto a Mihlali Mayambela through ball to equalise before a moment of genius by the attacking midfielder saw him slot a thunder curling effort off the upright and into the back of the net to gift the visitors the lead.

That was special. Themba Zwane. Take a bow, lad.

The veteran attacking midfielder smartly cuts in and sinks his teeth into a scintillating strike off the upright and into the back of the net to give Bafana the lead. 

The perfect press is implemented and the Monare dispatches the ball to play in Mayambela. The winger slots in a through ball for Zwane, who smartly puts his but in the right place for an equaliser.

31' A lovely darted sprint from Mokoena as he bursts through Algeria midfield, he finds Mobiba, and with time, the Sundowns left-back seeks to square the ball with oncoming Bafana shirts. Instead his cross finds a Algerian defender.

Yassine Benzia scores with a left-footed shot from the center of the box, finding the bottom right corner of the net. The goal follows a swift counterattack, with Yacine Brahimi assisting.

16' Teboho Mokoena steps up for a 25-yard free-kick, and his effort slightly dips over the crossbar. 

Funny enough, whenever the Sundowns man is behind the ball at a deadball situation, everyone will hold their breath. Unfortunately for the South African counterpart, his strike went over.

8' CHANCE! Mayambela narrowly misses the target with a right-footed strike from the right side of the box, assisted by Iqraam Rayners.

2' CHANCE! Mobbie does brilliantly on the right flank and squares a ball to the 18th area. A deflection off an Algerian defender finds Appolis, and he thumps a thunderous shot, beating the goalkeeper but hitting the upright.

1' The first half is now officially underway as the referee sounds his whistle. 

Broos opts for 10 changes to the team that started against Andorra. Monare is the only player who keeps his spot.

Under Hugo Broos's coaching tenure, Bafana Bafana have faced North African opponents four times, securing 2 victories, 1 draw, and 1 loss.

In their encounters against North African teams with Broos at the helm, Bafana suffered a defeat away and claimed a victory at home, with both matches against Morocco in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers ending 2-1.

Additionally, they defeated Morocco 2-0 in the last 16 stage of the 2023 Afcon.

Their other match against a North African opponent was a group stage fixture against Tunisia in the 2023 Afcon Finals, which concluded in a goalless draw.

South Africa's upcoming match against Algeria marks their 36th encounter with a North African opponent.

Their record against teams from this region, considering penalty shootout results as draws, stands at 16 wins, 8 draws, and 11 losses in 35 matches.

Moreover, when playing in North Africa, this fixture will be South Africa's 19th game, encompassing matches from the 2004, 2006, and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Finals.

As the fifth encounter between Algeria and South Africa unfolds, the stage is set for a clash of football titans.

With Algeria holding the 43rd spot in FIFA rankings and South Africa positioned at 58th, the battle promises to be intense.

In their past four meetings, each team boasts a single victory, with the scoreboard deadlocked twice in draws.

As the sun sets over Algiers, South Africa braces for a defining showdown against North African powerhouses Algeria in the FIFA Series clash at the iconic Nelson Mandela Stadium.

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LIVE scoring and commentary of the FIFA Series encounter between Bafana Bafana and host nation Algeria.