FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup: As Le Azzurre crash out with Albicelestes
South Africa vs. Italy: Bayana Bayana celebrates their 3-2 win in Wellington, New Zealand
By Ed Emeanua
Starting lineups and Subs
At the Sky Stadium at the Wellington, New Zealand
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.
At the Waikato Stadium, Hamilton / Kirikiriroa, New Zealand
Argentina (4-5-1): Correa; Sachs, Stabile, Cruz, Braun; Cometti, Nunez, Bonsegundo, Gomez Ares, Banini; Larroquette. Subs: Esponda, Chaves, Santana, Falfan, Gramaglia, Ippolito, Rodriguez, Benitez, Chavez, Singarella, Lonigro
Sweden (4-5-1): Falk; Lennartsson, Sandberg, Eriksson, Ilestedt; Janogy, Jakobsson, Seger, Bennison, Schough; Blomqvist. Subs: Musovic, Enblom, Andersson, Sembrant, Hurtig, Asllani, Blackstenius, Bjorn, Angeldal, Rolfo, Kaneryd, Rubensson
South Africa needed a decisive win against Italy to advance in Group G of the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and join Sweden in the round of 16-and win they did-snatching a 3-2 victory against Le Azzurre at the Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, Wednesday.
In a game decided by mother luck, it was a tale of contrasting fortunes for the pair of South Africa and Italy, as the winner were left to celebrate their luck, and the losers to rue their ill wind.
In the freezing cold in Wellington tonight (3 degrees !), Bayana Bayana snatched its win from the jaws of defeat as motherluck chose to smile on the Africans twice in the game in both halves of the match.
Mother luck began to show her hand early in Wellington when in the 10′, Beccari collected the ball skillfully with a neat initial caress that separates her from Dhlamini on the edge of the box, and who was unlucky to have slammed into her, gifting Le Azzurre a soft penalty.
Italy’s Caruso then stepped in, and while looking at the bottom right, craftily redirected her spot kick to the bottom left, with Swart in the South African goal, left glued in one spot on the goalline.
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Arianna Caruso slams home the penalty for Italy! Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty Images
AT the same time in Hamilton, Italy resisted Argentina’s lush and fluid football, to hold on to their undefeated record record in the group as scores remained barren at the Waikato, while the Albicelestes continued to be resurgent.
In the 32′, Linari neat up a South African foray upfield, crosses to Orsi who swipes a backpass without checking whether her goalkeeper Durante was well positioned, to score an own goal, and aid the Africans to go level.
Ah, that was quite the own goal. Photograph: Katelyn Mulcahy/FIFA/Getty Images
The first half ended 1-1 in Welling while in Hamilton, it was a goalless draw at the midway stage of the game there.
Caroline Seger battles for possession with Mariana Larroquette in a scrappy opening to the first half. Photograph: Hannah Peters/FIFA/Getty Images
Florencia Bonsegundo is stretchered off the pitch after picking up what looks like a serious injury. Photograph: Phil Walter/Getty Images
Then, finally came some equanimity and deft Swede play at the Waikato Stadium. Jakobsson received the ball in the 66′ on the right before teeing in a flawless square play for Blomqvist to nod in from a few yards for the Blågult’s first goal of the game.
As if on cue in the game in Wellington, Kgatlana broke away in the 67′, dancing forward, deceptive as ever, and swerving to an alluring rhythm that only her could hear, before ducking inside Orsi and slipping a nifty reverse pass into the path of Magaia, who in turn, drills a fine finish low into the far corner for South Africa to take the lead in Wellington.
As if undaunted, Girelli won a near-post header duel with an out-of-this-world vault, before flicking the ball from the corner into the middle which allowed Caruso to increase her body frame to shield the ball from her marker, before firing in the equalizer-it is now 2-2 in Wellington.
Arianna Caruso celebrates putting Italy ahead from the penalty spot. Photograph: Jose Breton/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
The referee pointed to the spot in the 89th minute in Hamilton after Blomqvist was toppled in the Argentine box by Chavez’s rugby-like tackle while defending a free-kick. Rubensson dispatched her penalty kick in the 90th minute after leaving the Argentine goalkeeper rooted to the same spot, and giving Sweden a deserved 2-0 lead.
Two minutes later in Wellington, it was mother luck again to the rescue for the South Africans. A ball appeared from nowhere down the right and Seoposenwe snatched it, before calmly making a cross that the near-flawless Magaia brushed into, before waltzing past her marker on the outside of the box, then squares for Kgatlana to stroke home from only a few yards.
South Africa’s 3-2 win is a historic first Women’s World Cup victory for Bayana Bayana. The shocking victory also afforded the Africans their first qualification out of the preliminary group stage of the tournament into the thrilling knockout segment of the competition.
