Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala scored in the first half and Katlego Mashego late in the match to hand South Africa a 3-0 win over the Central African Republic at the Stade Omnisports Ahmadou-Ahidjo in Yaounde, Cameroon, in their 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier.

This Group A match was played on neutral ground because of the war situation in the CAR. South Africa trail group leaders Ethiopia, whom they play next weekend away, by just two points.

Bafana Bafana took the lead in the 25th minute through Parker as their constant attacking paid off. Tshabalala’s through ball split the CAR defence and found Parker, who beat the keeper’s challenge and slid home into an empty net.

In the 41st minute Reneilwe Letsholonyane should have scored when he beat the offside trap after Tshabalala’s lobbed ball, but with only the keeper to beat the midfielder just casually back heeled the ball into the keeper’s path.

From that South African attack, Bafana Bafana recycled the ball and, with Tshabalala at the forefront of it again, he played a one-two with striker Tokelo Rantie and ‘Shabba’ evaded a few CAR defenders before he placed the ball beyond the keeper to make it 2-0.

Three minutes into the second half Parker could have grabbed a second goal for himself when he was cleverly picked out in the box by Tshabalala, but the striker saw his shot from six-yards saved by the CAR keeper.

With only four minutes left to play in the match, Oupa Manyisa side stepped his way on the left side before he sent in a high cross into the box which Mashego headed into an empty net.

Central African Republic 0

South Africa (2) 3 (Parker 25’, Tshabalala 42’, Mashego 91’)

Teams:

CAR: Yezzoat; Yamissi, Kethevoama, Kossingou, Anzite, Momi, Keita, Zimbori, Lignanzi, Youga, Dertin

RSA: Khune, Ngcongca, Nunes, Nthethe, Mathoho, Furman, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala, Mahlangu (Ntshumayelo 81’s), Parker (Mashego 63’), Rantie (Manyisa 57’).