Posted in News on Jun 11, 2010.
In front of a 84 490 fans at 'Soccer City' Tshabalala sent South Africa into delirium when he shot Bafana into the lead with an amazing strike from just inside the Mexico area on 55 minutes.
As reported on Kaizerchiefs.com on Thursday South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira began the game against Mexico by including the three Chiefs players in his 23 man squad in the starting eleven.
It took South Africa some time to settle their nerves before they took the lead, Chiefs keeper Itumeleng Khune made a telling save off making striker Guillermo Franco when he stuck a hand out to stop the Argentine born forwards close range effort in the 32nd minute.
The telling moment of the game belonged to Tshabalala in the 55th minute, he was picked out wide on the left wing and he cut into the Mexico 18 yard area from just inside the left corner of the Mexico penalty box past he swept the ball past the outstretched reach of Mexico keeper Oscar Perez with a powerful left footed drive.
Once the ball had past Perez and was in mid air time seemed to stand and the crowd inside 'Soccer City' went quiet as soon as it hit the net the stadium erupted into a sea of noise.
Soon after South Africa had taken the lead Khune was called upon to make another important stop, as he dived full length to push Giovanni Dos Santos's long range effort out for a corner.
Mexico levelled the scores when Rafael Mraquez was free in the South African penalty area when he was picked out by Andreas Guardado with a cross from the left to the far post in the 79th minute, Marquez who was unmarked managed to hit the ball past Khune from close range.
Katlego Mphela came close to scoring a second for South Africa in the final minute when he hit the Mexico post with an effort from close range, the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Tshabalala's goal was also the first scored by a Chiefs player in a FIFA World Cup game, this is also the first time a match between South Africa and Mexico has ended in a draw.
