By Jacob Ajom, Uyo

South Africa yesterday re-wrote the history books when they stunned the Super Eagles 2-0 in the opening match of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification series in Uyo.

BREAKING LOOSE..Super Eagles forward Oghenekaro Etebo (C) tries to outwit South African defence during their 2019 AFCON qualifier at Goodswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Photo: AFP

It’s their first win over Nigeria in a competitive game and brought an end to the latter’s seeming superior record over Bafana, who now top the group, where only the winners are guaranteed of a ticket to play in the 2019 tournament to be hosted by Cameroon.

On a night that coach Gernot Rohr recorded his first loss since he was appointed manager by the Nigeria Football Federation last year, the Eagles simply failed to come to the party, allowing their opponents the leeway to score two second half goals that stunned a home crowd into silence, pain, despair, agony and anguish.

Nigeria’s tormentor Tokelo Rantie put Bafana Bafana ahead in the 56th minute, Percy Tau making it 2-0 in the 80th, in the shock result of the opening round of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

It could have been more – the unfortunate Themba Zwane somehow struck the upright twice.

Coach Stuart Baxter, on his return to coach Bafana, oversaw the end to the 24-year drought against the team South Africa could never beat. Remarkably, he had also been in charge of Bafana’s one previous friendly win against Nigeria, 1-0 at Ellis Park in 2004.

Bafana are now in pole position to qualify for Cameroon 2018. Seychelles will be whipping boys in Group E, Libya perhaps a little more than that.

In the opening half, Bafana were patchy, but not appallingly so, clawing their way to a goalless break. They improved remarkably killing the game in the second half.

Remarkably, the last time that South Africa played in Uyo, they almost ran away with a 2-0 victory, only to be pegged back by the Nigerians, who however drew the game 2-2.

But on account of yesterday’s game, the South Africans were simply better prepared, well drilled and executed expertly the script prepared by Coach Stuart Baxter, who in the days to the game, had warned that his troops will canter to victory in Uyo.

This manner in which they achieved this impressive result left a bitter taste on the lips of Nigerian fans, who wore long faces as they drifted out of the Godswill Akpabio Stadium.

The Eagles came into the match high on confidence of coasting to a routine win over the former apartheid nation but failed to create clear-cut chances. With the likes of Victor Moses goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and John Obi Mikel missing due to injuries, the Eagles lacked a leader, who would take the game to the Bafana Bafana. The likes of Manchester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho and Arsenal’s striker, Alex Iwobi were simply a shade off form, causing the team to lack the bite and zest needed to break down the South Africans.

Eagles midfield trio of Oghenekaro Etebo, Moses Simon and Wilfred Ndidi were subdued in the midfield by the South Africans, who after holding the homers to a barren first half, came off the blocks in the second half and deservedly provided the fillip that allowed Thokelo Rantie to  edge Bafana 1-0 up on 54 minutes.

Mphahlele was the provider of the fine cross from the right  of Eagles defence, with Rantie heading and beating goalkeeper Daniel  Akpeyi at his near post.  It was a beauty as the South Africans celebrated an unlikely lead in Uyo, with the likes of NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Senator Godswill Akpabio also looking bemused, unable to hide the irritation.

The Nigerian defenders were guilty of marking space, instead of the opponents, with an unmarked Rantie, who had scored in the last encounter in Uyo, having all space and time to choose the best spot to nod the ball into. Akpeyi was lost in the air, a forlorn figure that failed to shout out orders to his defenders on their poor positioning. It was an absolute shambolic defending by Eagles, reminiscent of the bad old days.

Where were the likes of Elderson Echiejile, Troost Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem doing in defence when Tokelo Rantie towered high in space to beat Akpeyi in goal for Nigeria? They caused fans to shake their heads in despair

The likes of Pinnick, who is now a CAF Exco member, had come to the stadium, expecting to be treated to a feast of goals by the Super Eagles, who  were trailing, promoting Coach Rohr to ring in the changes, replacing the ineffective Iwobi with Leicester City’s winger, Ahmed Musa.

Musa’s introduction was ineffective as far as providing the impetus for Eagles to score the equaliser.

Lacking a motivator and creator, the Eagles played like a team without a plan, as the players seemed all too drained from the two weeks of camping in France for this match against South Africa, who only used a couple of days to prepare for the same game.

With desperation setting in, Rohr took out Iheanacho, who was simply off form and in his place, came in Olarewaju Kayode, who no sooner fell into the same disjointed play of the Eagles. Captain Ogenyi Onazi did not lead by example, looking lost in the midfield.  In retrospect, this game exposed the fragile underbelly of the Eagles, who even if given another 30 minutes after regulation time, were not likely to score in Uyo.

It was fitting that South Africa scored the second of the night on 81 minutes,  as substitute Percy Tau made an instant  impact, latching onto a long ball, beating a hapless, and pathetic Akpeyi, before tapping the ball into an empty net, to the dismay and utter shame of Nigeria, who now face the prospects of not qualifying for the third successive Nations Cup if South Africa manage to consolidate on this fantastic result that has rocked the foundation of Nigerian football, with recriminations about to start flying round. The late introduction of Victor Osimhen, in for Moses Simon came too little too late as South Africa recorded a shock and historic win on Nigeria’s soil.