Thalente Mbatha once again proved his worth as a super-sub by coming off the bench in their matchday two African Cup of Nations qualifier to save Bafana Bafana for the second time in four days.
His decisive goal in the second half secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over a resilient South Sudan side at the Juba Stadium.
The home team’s Tito Odong Okello opened the scoring with a penalty in the 15th minute – but Oswin Appollis equalized two minutes later before scoring again to give South Africa a 2-1 lead at halftime.
In the 57th minute of the second half, Valentino Yuel scored levelling the score for the home team. Despite being underdogs, South Sudan put up a spirited fight, making life difficult for South Africa.
However, Thalente Mbatha, known for delivering in crucial moments scored and secured a vital three points for Bafana. The win keeps their Afcon qualification hopes alive and on track with four points apiece with Uganda after two matches in Group K.
FULL-TIME: South Sudan 2-3 Bafana Bafana
