Marquez denies hosts a perfect start
Source: Agencies |
June 12, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A STUNNING goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala almost gave hosts South Africa the perfect start to the World Cup before they were held to a 1-1 draw in front of almost 85,000 fans at Soccer City in Johannesburg yesterday.
Tshabalala crashed home an unstoppable left foot shot high and wide of Mexican goalkeeper Oscar Perez after 55 minutes of a hugely entertaining opening match in Group A on an emotional first day of the first World Cup staged in Africa.
Mexico, which had started brighter, equalized after 79 minutes when Rafael Marquez capitalized on some poor defending and picked his spot to score.
Although South Africa was denied victory, the excitement of the day, against an endless drone of noise from the thousands of vuvuzelas, lifted the mood.
But it was a bitter-sweet occasion for millions who woke to the news that Zenani Mandela, the 13-year-old great grand-daughter of former president Nelson Mandela had been killed in a car crash on Thursday night.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter and South Africa president Jacob Zuma declared the World Cup open.
Mexico took control early on as South Africa made a nervy start with Giovani Dos Santos running the midfield and setting up chances for himself, Guillermo Franco and Carlos Vela as South Africa was forced on the back foot.
Mexico went close to taking the lead after 37 minutes but Vela was ruled narrowly offside after putting the ball in the net and that proved to be the turning point of the game.
South Africa, which had begun to find some rhythm in the later stages of the first half, came out for the second having got over its stage-fright and there was no arguments about it taking the lead with a powerful shot from Tshabalala.
Five minutes later South African keeper Itumeleng Khune denied Dos Santos with a superb save at the other end before Mexico gained a share of the points with 11 minutes left, although Katlego Mphela almost won the game for South Africa when he hit the post at the end.
Off the pitch, at least three people were hurt as fans surged forward at the start of a live broadcast of the tournament's opening game at a viewing site for fans in Johannesburg.
Paramedics treated a young girl, who was bleeding from her face, and two boys, who apparently suffered broken limbs in the stampede.
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