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Bafana Bafana’s hopes of reaching the World Cup in Brazil next year ended in heartbreak despite a Bernard Parker brace propelling them to an emphatic 4-1 victory over Botswana in their final qualifying match in Durban on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts needed to win the game to have any hope of reaching the global spectacle next year, which they did, but Group A leaders Ethiopia, who they needed to either lose or draw against Central African Republic, were instead 2-1 victors.
That enabled the East Africans to top the pool and reach the final 10-team qualifying stage at the expense of South Africa.
But there was no faulting the host at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Kermit Erasmus and Dean Furman gave them a comfortable half-time lead.
Jerome Ramatlhakwna pulled one back in the 73rd minute, before Kaizer Chiefs forward Parker scored a free-kick and a penalty in the closing stages to seal the win for Gordon Igesund’s team.
