Doloquee
Monrovia, Liberia — In a thrilling encounter at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia, South Africa dashed Liberia’s hopes of qualifying for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 with a hard-fought 2-1 victory.
The match started with both teams showing great determination to win, with Liberia dominating the early exchanges. However, South Africa’s resilience and strong defense paid off in the 19th minute when they took the lead through a well-placed strike from striker Zakhele Lepasa.
Liberia continued to push forward, and their persistence paid off in the 35th minute when striker Williams Jebor equalized with a stunning goal, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
However, South Africa was not to be outdone, and in the 53rd minute, Mihlali Mayambela found the back of the net after Liberian goalkeeper, Tommy Songo, failed to hit the ball far away from his opponent, putting his side back in front.
Liberia continued to push forward, but South Africa’s defense held firm, denying the home side any chance of an equalizer. The match ended with a 2-1 victory for South Africa, crushing Liberia’s hopes of qualifying for AFCON 2024.
Related: Late Goals from Liberia Stun South Africa in 2-2 Draw in Africa Cup of Nations Qualifier
The defeat leaves Liberia in a precarious position in their qualifying group, with just one point from their first two matches. South Africa, on the other hand, now sits second in the group with four points from three games.
South Africa will be playing the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since their last appearance in 2019 when Egypt was the host. Morocco is at the top of the table with six points, while South Africa has four points.
Liberia’s head coach, Ansu Keita, has offered support to his goalkeeper after a public cry that he caused the defeat. The coach says Tommy Songo was exceptional – Something a lot of the fans have disagreed with.
“Tommy Songo has nothing to do with our defeat; we aren’t blaming anyone. Tommy’s performance was exceptional, I’m trusting in Tommy Songo to continue the process,” Coach Keita.
Liberia will have to go and prepare itself if there should be any hope in the near future of participating in any big league. Until there is another chance again, this one is over.
