But they’re not our story today, not by a long chalk. Taken simply as a game of football, what we’ve just seen was mindblowing; taken as a social, cultural earthquake, a reward for decades of pain, an expression of the human spirit and the unbeatable power of South African womanhood, it’s something different entirely, an eternal moment that encapsulates exactly why we’re here. Thanks for your company and comments; what a night!
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Spare a though, though, for Italy, whose players are on the turf, desolate. They contributed to a classic, though, which won’t alleviate the agony but remains the case. They’ll be back, much stronger, for the Euros.
Goodness me, Kgatlana is so overjoyed she’s inconsolable. I’ve not often, if ever, seen scenes like these, the special nature of South Africa, the indomitable spirit of South African women, bathing our competition in joy, love, identity and meaning. Banyana Banyana!
Oh – my – days! What match that was, and the SA players are so happy they’re anguished, the weight of everything exploding within them. Some huddle, Kgatlana collapses on her own, unable to raise her head, and what a performance she put in tonight, a World Cup all-time great.
FULL TIME: South Africa 3-2 Italy
South Africa go through to meet the Netherlands! Football is unrivalled, undefeated, eternal, and this tournament! Well!
90+16 min Italy build again; this has got to be the final play…
90+15 min Back on the SA bench, players nervously clutch themselves, the moment of their lifetime, that their lives have built to, within grasp … yet not. Dhlamini is stretchered off, Holweni replacing her, and surely this is over now?!
90+13 min Having blocked a cross with her thigh, Dhlamini is down. It didn’t look like anything was wrong but her teammates are around her calling for a stretcher.
90+12 min Cantore down the right, and Mbane, who’s been an absolute giant, flings her body in the road. The trouble these players have gone to for our beloved game, battling for acceptance, to play, to be paid; it’s moving just to think about, and my eyeballs may or may not be sweating. I’ve no dog in this fight, but what it’ll mean if SA can hang on, goodness me.
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90+12 min Our 11 allotted minutes are gone….
90+10 min South Africa have seen this out pretty well so far, pressing from the front, and on the bench, Magaia and Moodaly hold each other, tears in eyes and tension unbearable. The scope of this achievement for SA is colossal … if they can hang on.
90+9 min Change for Italy, Glionna replacing Orsi.
90+8 min Whichever of these qualify, by the way, meets Netherlands next.
90+8 min I wonder if, SA progress, whether Jane and/or Cesane will be fit for the last 16 tie. But in the meantime, Italy try to affect composure as they move the ball across the back four seeking a gap through which to play.
90+7 min Kgatlana’s performance has reminded me a little of El-Hadji Diouf’s for Senegal against Argentina in 2002. Don’t laugh, Diouf was fantastic that day, a one-man forward line with the touch, intelligence, quality and edge to occupy an entire back four.
90+6 min What a match this has been. What a match this is.
90+5 min Double change for SA, Shongwe and Makhubela replacing Magaia and Ramalepe.
90+4 min Italy try taking their time and a ball into the box finds Girelli, who brings down, then Giacinti collects, wriggling away from challenges in search of a shooting lane as the SA defenders wave legs, Kgoale desperately trying to block a shot that doesn’t come, then the shot does come, lashed inches over the bar!
GOOOAAALLLLL! South Africa 3-2 Italy (Kgatlana 90+2)
IT HAD TO BE HER! A ball down the right and Seposwene collects, calmly picking a square pass that Magaia, who’s been superb second half, bursts onto, beating her defender on the outside. She might shoot, but instead squares, and there’s Kgatlana to sweep home from a few yards! Her team are going through and FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL FOOTBALL!
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90+1 min Sweden now lead Argentina 2-0. They win Group G with three wins from three; who’ll qualify with them?
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90 min It’s 11 minutes, and SA have time to build pressure, rather than simply hope a Hail Mary comes off.
90 min So how many added minutes might we get? We’ve had two goals and lots of celebration and fuss after one, loads of subs, a couple of injuries; I’m going for 12 minutes.
88 min SA come again, the irrepressible Kgalana sliding Magaia in behind. She can’t, though, conjure a shooting lane so goes wide and dinks in a cross that, deflected, has Durante scrambling to fumble away from under the bar!
86 min if they don’t score, SA will rue the leads lost in their first two games – and also the way they started today. But in the meantime, Cantore makes ground down the right, teases Matlou, diddles her down the outside, and sticks it on a plate for Girelli … whose measured, deliberate finish allows Swart to save with her feet. That should’ve been curtains; will Italy regret the oversight?!
85 min It’s still Argentina 0-1 Sweden.
85 min Since the equaliser, Italy have done a pretty good job of disappearing time; of course they have.
84 min Two changes for Italy: Greggi and Cantore for Caruso, the goalscorer, and Beccari.
82 min Tell you what, Kgatlana is a very very fine player. I’m a WSL manager – for avoidance of doubt, I’m not – I’m doing whatever I can to get her, because not only does she have the technical and physical attributes, she has the kind of personality that’s able to refocus a game so that it’s all about her.
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81 min We see the goal again and it really is a fantastic flick from Girelli at the front post. Caruso may indeed have been offside, but we’re not allowed to see the situation from the relevant angle.
80 min What a half this has been. And we’re not finished, not by a long chalk. SA need a goal to progress, and have shown every sign of being able to get one.
78 min SA win a corner down the left, Magaia swings in, and Gamede heads hard but over.
78 min What price that Durante save now? SA were almost 3-1 in front!
77 min It’s a goal!
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77 min …and check something. They’ve not told us what – offside against Caruso? – Cheers lads!
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76 min After wild celebrations, play stops because the ref wants to check something…
GOAL! South Africa 2-2 Italy (Caruso 74)
Girelli wins the near-post header with a tremendous leap, a flick sending the corner into the middle, where Caruso expands her body trying to introduce part of it to the ball … and she does! It clips, I think arse and thigh, and that’s the equaliser! as it stands, Italy are now going through!
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73 min But now it’s Italy attacking and they win another corner down the left, the power of the wind there to aid the inswinger.
71 min Here come SA again – they’ve looked dangerous almost every time they’ve attacked today. Magaia crosses, the ball comes back to her, she recycles, exchanges passes beautifully with Seposwene and now, in space behind, stands up a cross, Kgatlana heads down towards the far corner … and Durante plunges left, late, to shove away! Brilliant save! And here come SA yet again, Seposwene sliding Kgatlana in behind, but when she crosses, there’s no one in the middle to slot home. Italy are rocking!
70 min Giacinti fights for a ball into the box and gets the first touch, but Mbane is there to intercede, losing her rag with Swart, who doesn’t come promptly. But SA still lead, and we can expect much more of this as both sides grow ever-more desperate.
68 min Magaia was worried she was offside, immediately looking to the lino, but the pass and run were timed to perfection.
GOAL! South Africa 2-1 Italy (Magaia 67)
NOW THEN! Again, it’s Kgatlana who breaks play, grooving forward, feinting and swaying before dipping inside Orsi and sliding a no-look reverse pass into the path of Magaia, who drills a fine finish low into the far corner! South Africa are going through as it stands!
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66 min Sweden lead Argentina! Great news for Italy, who should now be through with a draw!
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65 min A long, straight hump turns Italy, Durante sliding out as Kgatlana chases, unable to hold. But the ball won’t drop for SA, and when it falls for Dhlamini, she sweeps over the top from outside the box.
65 min Double change for Italy, Bartoli and Girelli replacing Di Guglielmo and Bonansea, who hasn’t recovered from the knock she took at that corner a few minutes ago.
64 min Thing is, neither side are much co at defending crosses, and shonuff a rattled shank from Boattin gets the ball away – for now.
63 min Now it’s SA who win a corner and again, I’d expect an inswinger, but the wind might hold it up.
62 min Linari is back on, nose still doing the Comic Relief thing. She’s not arsed in the slightest.
61 min The corner is a good one too, swinging in, bouncing, and Bonansea can’t get a touch, Matlou narrowly avoids imparting one facing her own net that, and Seposwene hooks clear. In the box, Bonansea stays down.
59 min The aforementioned Linari’s conk is leaking claret, so she goes off for treatment while Giacinti, running off Beccari, wins a corner despite being isolated with two defenders opposing her.
58 min SA are pushing now, Kgatlana beating two players before lifting a cross which clobbers Linari in the conk. They then win the ball high up with Magaia, who beats one challenge before slipping to Seposwene outside her … but a weak shot is wide of the near post.
56 min Better from SA, Kgatlana sliding Magaia in behind and down the left; from the line, she cuts back and Linari cuts out.
55 min “I’ve still no idea why a goalkeeper doesn’t dive on the ball for a misplaced backpass like that,” reckons Andy Flintoff. “It would only be an indirect free kick (and no card), as it’s not handball.”
You raise an interesting point: is it a professional foul? But in our case, I think Durante figured she’d get better slide with her legs, which were closer to the ball than her hands.
53 min Kgatlana is a proper danger, easily SA’s best player, and when Molthalo slides her in behind, dashing between the two centre-backs, she stands Orsi up, feints to go inside, drags ball and self outside … then dribbles a weak shot wide of the near post. Still, though, if her team can support her, she’s capable of inspiring a breakthrough.
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51 min I’m trying to see whether SA have changed formation; I think not. And here come Italy as the back three converge, Bonansea sliding in Giacinti … but her ball has just a little too much on it and Swart does really well, coming out late but fast to smother the attempted dink. Then, Dragoni has a dig from distance and Molthalo bravely sticks her swede in the way, wearing a right sair yin that lays her out. She takes treatment and looks a little woozy, but should be fine.
50 min Again, it’s Kgatlana bringing SA forward, until Dragoni fouls her. Mbane will take the free-kick, just inside the Italy half … and floats a straight ball into Durante’s arms.
48 min … which Boattin, addressing ball with her left foot seeking a curler, slices wide. That was, I’m afraid to say, not unamusing.
47 min Giacinti flicks around the corner and the ball flicks the hand of Mbane; it’s by her side, she’s less than a yard away … and the ref awards Italy a free-kick on the edge, right of centre…
47 min Or, put another way, this is going to be tense!
46 min Housekeeping: if the scores stay as they are, Italy are going through, but they know that a goal for Argentina against Sweden and they need a win. As such, they need to chase the win too, likewise South Africa who are out with anything less.
46 min We go again! South Africa bring on Kgoale for Moodaly, who I thought was one of their better players in the first half.
Our players are back with us.
Thinking again about that own goal, you can criticise Orsi for passing back between the width of the posts, so in the case of error you only concede a corner – people said that with the Neville/Robinson one, though Robinson was in position to clear – but you just need to have a look. Durante was under no pressure, so had she been where Orsi thought she was, she’d have resolved the situation before it became one.
And while we’re here, my esteemed sister-in-law expressed some thoughts on my Ghana playlist from the men’s World Cup, so here’s that with her additions along with stuff i realised I’d missed out at the time.
Half-time entertainment: here’s that South African playlist again.
HALF-TIME: South Africa 1-1 Italy
While in the other game it’s Argentina 0-0 Sweden.
45+7 min South Africa have more work to do at half-time than do Italy, but on the other hand they’ll know they’ve loads of room for improvement, whereas their opponents have done what they planned to do and still aren’t in front. However as things stand, it’s Italy going through.
45+5 min Italy win a free-kick 30 yards out, right-hand side … and Caruso gets up first, but can’t direct her intervention and the ball plops into Swart’s arms.
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45+4 min “While I agree that Orsi’s error was awful,” says Kári Tulinius, “ I think South Africa forced it by really unsettling Italy with some very good pressing in the minutes leading up to the goal. Le Azzurre had become hasty, so a mistake was coming.”
You’re a generous man! I agree SA had improved just before the goal, but Orsi knew no one was near her, she just assumed Durante was where she needed her to be without checking. I might be wrong of course, I frequently am, but I reckon over-confidence was more likely the cause of what happened than pressure.
45+2 min Giacinti does well to come off the front and turn her marker who commits to a challenge when the ball isn’t there, but with two players free to her left, the striker opts to shoot from 20, and Swart saves easily enough.
45+1 min We’ll have seven additional minutes.
45 min Dragoni with a ball around the corner and releases Beccari, skipping away at inside-right …and Bonansea’s in the middle! But she overhits her square-pass and the chance evaporates.
43 min We’ve not seen much of Molthalo so far, but SA move down the left with Magaia, who sends the ball infield for Seposwene, only for Boattin to run in front of her, italian defender-style. So Seposwene goes down and seems to have hurt her shoulder but in the first instance beseeches the ref for a penalty; nothing doing.
41 min In our other match, it’s 0-0. Follow along with Will Unwin here:
40 min It’s absolutely caning down with rain now and the wind is holding the ball up, but Italy are back boxing South Africa, who desperately need reorganising because at the moment they’re relying on moments rather than control.
38 min Italy have worn that shock well, winning another left-wing corner, and the wind might just help Giugliano, though I think it’s now blowing away from goal so no Katie McCabe olimpico for her. Her first effort is kicked away at the near post, handing her a second … which is cleared.
36 min The officials agree: no penalty.
35 min OK, when Beccari headed for goal, did the ball brush Dhlamini’s fingers? I don’t think it did, nor do I think it can possibly be a penalty if it did.
34 min …and Beccari is up first, heading onto the base of the far post1 But now what?! The ref seems to be conferring with VAR about a potential penalty, I’ve no idea what for…
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34 min Italy win a corner down the left…
33 min On the plus side for Orsi and Durante, at least Borat wasn’t chuckling away behind them.
OH MY ABSOLUTE COMPLETE AND UTTER DAYS GOAL! South Africa 1-1 Italy (Orsi 32)
What a disaster this is! Linari tidies up a South African attack, squares to Orsi and she, without looking, swipes a backpass without having checked whether Durante was there … and she’s not, sliding in unable to stop ball hitting net! Immediately, Orsi’s teammates console her, which tells you that is as bad an error as you’ll see.
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31 min If South Africa can refrain from conceding again, there’s a goal for them in this, problem being they need at least two now. But even that needn’t be beyond them if they make the right decisions at the right times, because they’ve got the legs of Italy in attack.
30 min It’s Jonathan Pearce on comms, by the way, so in that regard here he is in the Sopranos and I’m not even joking.
Words they never thought they'd type: here's Jonathan Pearce in the Sopranos. It's good to be back! pic.twitter.com/GoDEzjrdWW
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) December 17, 2021
28 min A clash of heads between Matlou and Beccari leads to both accepting treatment, as we learn that the former was once forced to undergo a sex test on the pitch prior to a match against Ghana. What an absolutely revolting state of affairs that is.
28 min Now SA incur down the left, Magaia nashing into space when cleverly fed by Moodaly, and her low cross on the run is a decent one, forcing Linari to slide back towards her own goal to make the interception.
26 min Kgatlana is growing into this, bursting forward and finding Seposwene down the right; Linari dashes over the slide the ball out of play, but the balance of it has changed. South Africa are in this match now.
24 min They make nothing of it, then Mbane collects the loose ball and Di Giglielmo tugs at her shorts, jostles her – classic Italian defending and beautiful to watch in action – so Mbane retaliates by smashing the ball into touch in the absence of refereeing intervention. That’ll learn everyone!
23 min South Africa are getting players forward now and Kgatlana knocks off a ball into feet right as Orsi comes in the back of her. It’s sore but she’ll be fine, and SA now have a chance to sticks a ball into the box from 40 yards away, down the left.
21 min HAVE AN ABSOLUTE LOOK! Kgatlana turns up on the left, crosses, and Seposwene knocks down for Moodaly, arriving onto it lovely! She quickly clues up the situation too, caressing a really clever half-volley with the outside of her right foot that clumps the post, Durante marooned! Do we got ourselves a ball-game?
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19 min “I have a hunch that Arianna Caruso could make an excellent writer after she hangs up her football boots,” chortles Peter Oh. “I say that because her pen was mightier than the Swart.”
17 min Beccari finds Dragoni, marauding down the right, and she turns her marker but can’t do anything with the cross. Her team, though, have been absolutely dominant, Kgatlana’s shot from distance almost the only time SA have been out of their own half. Desiree Ellis needs to sort this, and quickly.
16 min South Africa are struggling to get on the ball, and I’m not surprised – they’re losing the midfield numbers game having gone two v three in there, and need to either switch to 3-5-2 or 4-3-3. In general, I don’t get 3-4-3 as a formation because it feels like with it, you’re outnumbered all over the pitch.
14 min Real talk: I say this a lot, so apologies for going on, but a penalty is far too severe a punishment for almost every offence that yields one. So, any infringement anywhere on the park that kills a goalscoring opportunity: penalty. Any infringement in the box that does not kill a goalscoring opportunity; direct free-kick.
13 min Kgatlana takes possession 25 yards from goal, has a look, and explodes into a knuckleballer that shrieks and wobbles just over the bar, Durante nowhere near it! Better from Banyana,
GOAL! South Africa 0-1 Italy (Caruso pen 11)
Caruso stares out bottom right then sweeps bottom left, Swart rooted to her line!
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PENALTY TO ITALY!
10 min Yup, soft because no goal was threatened, but the laws are the laws.
9 min Italy need to target the space in behind but lack a bit of pace up front – Giacinti is a good player but not especially quick, so she needs runners off her to feed. Or, alternatively, the wide attackers need to stay wide and stretch the play, with the midfielders rushing through. But what’s this?! Beccari collects the ball beautifully with a clever first touch that takes her away from Dhlamini … who, on the edge of the box, ploughs through her! I think that’s going to be a penalty, because it was on the line down the right of the box!
8 min It’s been a pretty slow start, Italy probing and South Africa smothering.
6 min Now, though, Swart clips a decent ball forward and Kgatlana isolates Boattin and suddenly they’re down the right and in a race … but Kgatlana gets impatient and shoves the defender in the back when she didn’t need to.
6 min Thing is, South Africa press well and have players able to make a goal out of nothing, so won’t mind absorbing pressure, especially when they’re set and the ball is in front of them – as has been the case so far.
5 min Swart’s inability to kick long is forcing South Africa to play out, and when Italy are onto them quickly, they’re boxed in. Even when Mbane humps towards halfway, Azzurre win the second ball, and they’re controlling this so far.
3 min Email! “Just want to share it is FREEZING cold in Wellington tonight (3 degrees !)“ emails Tama. “I hope the players and more importantly those on the sidelines are well wrapped up.”
I can’t lie, when I’m watching my team I enjoy the players being cold. Football shouldn’t be easy.
2 min I’d somehow managed to refrain from noticing that Dragoni wears 16, her age, on her back. What a flex that is!
1 min Bonansea is starting off the left – I expected her on the right – and she immediately burrows forward before being crowded out.
1 min Away we go. For those of you watching in black and white, Italy are in the blue shirts.
It’s pretty minging in Wellington, windy and rainy – but much nicer than in Hamilton, where the other game is.
Siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
L’Italia chiamò. Sì!
Naturally, the players nail the big finish.
Tangentially should you ever get the opportunity to watch Uncle Vinny perform, do it without question. The absolute personification of youthfulness.
South Africa first though, a moving epic in its own right.
Or, in other words, we’re minutes away from Il Canto degli Italiani. I can’t wait. Here are your lyrics, no excuses for not joining in.
Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!
BBC reckon South Africa are playing 3-4-3 and Jonas Eidevall, who’s contributions I’m really enjoying, is impressed with their pressing and understanding of when to go. Italy will be relying on Giugliano to help play through them.
Sweden, already through, have made nine changes. Argentina will like the look of that.
Since when did continuity announcers tell us their names? Morning Scott!
Elsewhere: Argentina need to beat Sweden and hope Italy don’t win in our match. Good luck guys.
And to show how much I love you, here’s a (hastily compiled) playlist of South African tunes. Please excuse any glaring omissions or stray Ghanaian and Nigerian gear, but I think there’s none of the latter.
Of course, South Africa’s women’s team are known as Banyana Banyana, or The Girls The Girls, so here’s a song on that topic from the genius that is DJ Maphorisa.
I love this so much.
Learn more about our teams…
South Africa, meanwhile, make two changes from the side that drew with Argentina, both in midfield: Moodaly and Matlou replace Jane, the injured captain, and Cesane, also injured. There is, though, a dispute about how they’re going to play: Fifa reckon 3-4-3 and Google 4-4-2; we shall see, but my money’s on the latter.
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So, a few changes – sort of. Italy’s side is more similar to the one which beat Argentina rather than lost to Sweden, Milena Bertolini having rested players for that one – presumably on the basis that game was getting lost whatever. Orsi is preferred to Linari at centre-back, but that’s the only alteration from the first match while, from the second, Cantore and Salvai also drop out.
Let's have some teams!
South Africa (3-4-3): Swart; Gamede, Matlou, Mbane; Ramalepe, Dhlamini, Molthalo, Moodaly; Seoposenwe, Kgatlana, Magaia. Subs: Dlamini, Moletsane, Magama, Cesane, Salgado, Makhubela, Jane, Kgadiete, Holweni, Kgoale, Shongwe.
Italy (4-2-3-1): Durante; Di Guglielmo, Orsi, Linari, Boattin; Giugliano, Dragoni; Bonansea, Caruso, Beccari; Giacinti. Subs: Giuliani, Baldoi, Severini, Cantore, Girelli, Glionna, Bartoli, Serturini, Lenzini, Greggi, Cernoia, Salvai.
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Preamble
Of all the teams in this World Cup, none will bemoan football’s inherent, chaotic beauty more than South Africa. In their first game, they led Sweden only to concede a 65th-minute equaliser and 90th-minute winner; then, in their second against Argentina, they rustled up a two-goal advantage only to lose that too, forced to make do with a point.
For that reason, they must now beat Italy in order to progress, Le Azzurre having scraped by Argentina thanks to a late goal, before being walloped by the now-qualified Sweden. But the Wafcon champions are more than capable, with Thembi Kgatlana and Linda Motlhalo – or, to give her her full name, the Randfontein Ronaldinho – both in goalscoring form.
Italy, on the other hand, are in transition, Milena Bertolini having excluded various stalwarts to develop younger talent. Her side will be much better in two years’ time at the Euros, but in Manuela Giugliano, Barbara Bonansea and Cristiana Girelli, already boasts players good enough to give any defence trouble.
With the winners going through and the losers going home, this is going to be one helluva ruckus.
Kick-off: 7pm local, 8am BST
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