Argentina come from two goals down to deny South Africa win

• Argentina and South Africa settled for a 2-2 draw on an entertaining Group G World Cup fixture played on Friday morning in Dunedin/Otepoti
• The draw keeps both teams alive in the tournament, but with very slim chances of progressing to the next round

Argentina and South Africa settled for a 2-2 draw on an entertaining Group G World Cup fixture played on Friday morning in Dunedin/Otepoti.

South Africa took a two-goal lead through Linda Motlhalo and Thembi Kgatlana, and were on course to recording their first World Cup win. But knowing defeat would take them to the brink of elimination, Argentina scored two game-saving goals in a flurry of five minutes. South Africa had not yet recovered from Sophia Braun’s stunning volley when substitute Romina Nunez added Argentina’s second.

Argentina players celebrate after Romina Nunez scored the equalizer. Photo/ Sky Sports.

Speaking after the draw, Argentina’s manager German Portanova praised his players while saying he was really emotional for what they had achieved.

“I told them to play, have fun, dribble and play their best games. That’s why we are here. They are wonderful players. I wanted to see them playing with that love that optimises our football. We were a bit slow in the first half. In the second half we changed and there was a huge feeling. We moved ahead with self-confidence. The thing I most admire about these players is the constant desire to grow. I’m really emotional about what they achieved.” BBC Sports quotes German Portanova. 

The draw keeps both South Africa and Argentina alive in the World Cup tournament, but with very slim chances of progressing to the next round. Argentina face Sweden next, who are ranked third in the world. On the other hand, South Africa would playing their final Group G match against Italy.

How The Game Unfolded 

The Group G World Cup fixture between Argentina and South Africa started a bit slower, with neither side showing great intentions of scoring first. Whereas Thembi Kgatlana controlled South Africa’s play, Aldana Cometti stood strong for Argentina at the back.

The fixture eventually burst into life after 30 minutes of play when Linda Motlhalo opened the scoring for South Africa. Linda’s goal was a tap-in, with Kgatlana providing the assists. The referee initially ruled the goal out for offside but allowed it to stand after a lengthy VAR review.

Argentina did not provide a reply to the goal and were nearly caught again had Kgatlana not been ruled out for offside. South Africa came back stronger after the break and almost doubled their advantage through Kgatlana, who missed an open chance.

The 27-year-old midfielder, who plays for Racing Louisville W at club level, eventually found the back of the net after a mistake by Argentina. Jermaine Seoposenwe made an impressive run on the right wing before releasing a low cross to Kgatlana, who didn’t make a mistake this time.

Argentina will face Sweden in their next fixture. Photo/ Houston Chronicles.

The goal was a wake up call for Argentina and they began pushing forward in numbers to at least pull one back. Well, they did get one back on the 74th minute through Sophia Braun. Five minutes later, the South American nation had leveled the scores at Forsyth Barr Stadium. However, neither side was lucky to find the winning goal afterwards.