Disputed penalty downs TT

PORT ELIZABETH: A controversial penalty converted by Lesley Manyathela handed South Africa a 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly football international yesterday. Manyathela converted the 71st minute kick after Trinidad goalkeeper Clayton Ince had been penalised for knocking over then striker as he tried to punch a high cross into the penalty area. Trinidad had defender Brent Sancho sent off by referee Boniface Mpofu from Botswana in the subsequent protest, putting a damper on what had been a spirited encounter in a match staged as part of the South Africa’s 2010 World Cup bid. Manyathela gave South Africa the lead with a thundering shot in the 20th minute which caught Ince, from English club Crewe Alexandria, unawares and left his despairing dive too late. But the Caribbean islanders equalised within four minutes when South Africa goalkeeper Brian Baloyi was caught out of position by a looping header from Nigel Pierre and defender Tony Coyle helped the ball into the back of his own net as he attempted to clear.

South Africa, using the match as preparation for next week’s African Nations Cup qualifier against the Ivory Coast, had other chances but either shot wide or found Ince blocking their progress. The match was the third international on a two-week African tour for Trinidad and Tobago, who drew matches in Kenya and Botswana. “The referee killed it for us, up until that decision we were competitive and things could have turned out a lot differently,” said Trinidad and Tobago coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier. The result brought an emotive reaction from South African coach Ephraim Mashaba, who had been sidelined for the country’s previous match against England on May 22 after refusing to pick players from European-based clubs. Mashaba, reinstated after the international in Durban, shed a tear at the end of the match and said: “After what I’ve been through over the last month you can understand there is a lot of emotion.” Mashaba played with an exclusively home based side in yesterday’s match but is expected to have players like English-based striker Shaun Bartlett and Ajax Amsterdam’s Steven Pienaar in his team for the match against the Ivorians at Polokwane on June 22.