S Africa lose to Mali in African Youth Championship

SOWETO, South Africa: History haunted hosts South Africa Sunday when they lost 4-2 to Mali in the first 2011 African youth championship match.

Mali triumphed by an identical score in Burkina Faso eight years ago on the previous occasion the countries met in the biennial championship for under-20 footballers.

South Africa were lucky participants after suffering a stunning defeat by tiny neighbours Lesotho in the qualifiers only to get a second chance when the two-week tournament was switched from conflict-torn Libya.

But the physically inferior Amajita (Gentlemen) proved no match for the tall, quick, clinical Mali Eaglets, who led by three goals halfway through the second half before conceding a late goal while under continuous pressure.

Having done well to equalise after 21 minutes, South Africa fell behind again a minute later when impressive Paris Saint Germain striker Kalifa Coulibaly finished off a counterattack.

Coulibaly scored again before half-time and a terrible blunder by South Africa goalkeeper Tawfeeq Salie gifted substitute Ibrahima Diallo a fourth before Lucky Nguzana claimed his second goal for the host nation.

The standard of football before a small, vocal crowd was commendable as the home ground of Premiership club Moroka Swallows was badly cut up by a league fixture 24 hours earlier following torrential rain.

Egypt defeated Lesotho 2-0 in the second game of a double-header thanks to second-half goals from Ahmed Hegazy and Mohamed Ghaly in the other Group A match and appear early favourites to accompany Mali to the semi-finals.

Reigning World and African youth champions Ghana face arch rivals Nigeria at the same venue Monday in a blockbuster start to Group B followed by Cameroon and Gambia.

Group winners and runners-up qualify for the semi-finals and secure places at the 24-team FIFA world youth championship in Colombia during July and August.