Bafana Bafana’s win over Guinea marked by rare event for national team

[p]It was only the third time in almost 500 Bafana Bafana matches that two defenders had scored for the national side in the same game, with the previous two instances remarkably coming in back-to-back matches in 2018.[/p][p]Centre-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okon-ime/EFI44jgD/"]Ime Okon[/a] put Bafana ahead against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/guinea/lGDZlkOb/"]Guinea[/a] in the first half, before substitute left-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kabini-samukele/Q7PoBDsT/"]Samukele Kabini[/a] scored the winner 13 minutes from time to secure a crucial victory in coach Pitso Mosimane’s first game back in charge.[/p][p]Kabini had come on for the injured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/modiba-aubrey/tWExAYOC/"]Aubrey Modiba[/a], who was involved in both previous instances of two defenders scoring for the national team in the same match.[/p][embed guid="01ebf107-4b97-4481-b2e3-0dbe279a825e" url="https://x.com/BafanaBafana/status/2103868083995603217?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The first came in a COSAFA Cup clash in June 2018, when Bafana defeated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/namibia/QLENxLuR/"]Namibia[/a] 4-1 in Polokwane.[/p][p]Left-back Modiba scored from the penalty spot, while former Bafana captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/xulu-siyanda/4r4joZhm/"]Siyanda Xulu[/a], playing at centre-back, was also on the scoresheet.[/p][p]In the very next game, three days later against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/botswana/naNvXTwI/"]Botswana[/a], Modiba again found the back of the net after the late [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/madisha-motjeka/pxJZPgHf/"]Motjeka Madisha[/a], also playing at centre-back, had opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory.[/p][p]Before Saturday, those had remained the only two occasions on which two defenders had scored for the national side in the same game.[/p][infobox id="db74bfd9-cd62-42c7-8f2b-4dfcbe20d17f" /][p]Incidentally, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mabizela-mbulelo/ljETXfl8/"]Mbulelo Mabizela[/a] scored a brace for Bafana against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cape-verde/MocyWdm7/"]Cape Verde[/a] in June 2004, but was playing in midfield that day. He would later feature at centre-back for the national team.[/p][p]Bafana are next in action on Wednesday, when they travel to neutral Cairo to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/eritrea/ns8a5zLl/"]Eritrea[/a] in their second Group D qualifier. They then meet hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] in a friendly on October 4.[/p][p] [/p][infobox id="584d9683-f419-4696-8cb3-c155213092a0" /]