BAFANA Bafana were hoping for a battle against heavyweights opponents but got the flyweights in Burkina Faso here last night.
It wasn't so much through hard work that Bafana cantered to an effortless 3-0 victory in this international friendly, but their win could be put down to the little resistance their opponents offered.
Bafana were tactically superior and had everything going for them on the night in which they utterly dominated.
In fact, the home side could have scored more had Pitso Mosimane stuck with the starting 11 for much longer.
But there was every reason for Bafana coach to alter his team as he worked on new combinations.
His regulars had already done the job - Katlego Mphela scoring a brace and Siphiwe Tshabalala grabbing another goal.
The South Africans stormed out of the blocks, grabbing two goals inside the first 20 minutes.
It wasn't long after Siboniso Gaxa shook goalie Ibrahima Sakande with a blistering shot that Mphela opened the scoring.
The Bafana prime striker thundered in a brilliant free-kick, getting the hosts off to a perfect start in the 14th minute.
Tshabalala, Bafana skipper on the night, added the second - a low but hard strike from inside the area in the 19th minute - his first goal since he scored the historic 2010 Fifa World Cup opener.
The match was still to qualify as a contest when Mphela scored his brace, scoring his 21st international, seven minutes into the second half.
In his first start for Bafana, Thulani Serero released Mphela with a sublime pass and watched contently as the prime striker finish off a good work.
Feeling comfortable midway through the second half, Mosimane yanked Mphela for Bernard Parker and put Lehlohonolo Majoro on for Serero, who disappeared down the tunnel, probably on his way to the airport.
There was also a run for under-23 international Daylon Classen, defender Happy Jele, both of who have never started for Bafana, and Hlompho Kekana.
Itumeleng Khune was reduced to a spectator as the Burkinabe barely got him involved.
Apart from a good save he pulled from Florent Rouamba's strike, the Kaizer Chiefs goalie was never really called on to duty.
If anything, Bafana would have drawn confidence from this game ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Niger next month.
Stallions castrated by Bafana
BAFANA Bafana were hoping for a battle against heavyweights opponents but got the flyweights in Burkina Faso here last night.
It wasn't so much through hard work that Bafana cantered to an effortless 3-0 victory in this international friendly, but their win could be put down to the little resistance their opponents offered.
Bafana were tactically superior and had everything going for them on the night in which they utterly dominated.
In fact, the home side could have scored more had Pitso Mosimane stuck with the starting 11 for much longer.
But there was every reason for Bafana coach to alter his team as he worked on new combinations.
His regulars had already done the job - Katlego Mphela scoring a brace and Siphiwe Tshabalala grabbing another goal.
The South Africans stormed out of the blocks, grabbing two goals inside the first 20 minutes.
It wasn't long after Siboniso Gaxa shook goalie Ibrahima Sakande with a blistering shot that Mphela opened the scoring.
The Bafana prime striker thundered in a brilliant free-kick, getting the hosts off to a perfect start in the 14th minute.
Tshabalala, Bafana skipper on the night, added the second - a low but hard strike from inside the area in the 19th minute - his first goal since he scored the historic 2010 Fifa World Cup opener.
The match was still to qualify as a contest when Mphela scored his brace, scoring his 21st international, seven minutes into the second half.
In his first start for Bafana, Thulani Serero released Mphela with a sublime pass and watched contently as the prime striker finish off a good work.
Feeling comfortable midway through the second half, Mosimane yanked Mphela for Bernard Parker and put Lehlohonolo Majoro on for Serero, who disappeared down the tunnel, probably on his way to the airport.
There was also a run for under-23 international Daylon Classen, defender Happy Jele, both of who have never started for Bafana, and Hlompho Kekana.
Itumeleng Khune was reduced to a spectator as the Burkinabe barely got him involved.
Apart from a good save he pulled from Florent Rouamba's strike, the Kaizer Chiefs goalie was never really called on to duty.
If anything, Bafana would have drawn confidence from this game ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Niger next month.