TAMALE - A stunning strike from Elrio van Heerden right at the death spared South Africa's blushes as they snatched a draw against Angola in Group D of the African Nations Cup on Wednesday.
Manucho Goncalves had given the Angolans a first-half lead and they looked to be heading for victory before the Club Brugge midfielder curled the ball home from 30-yards to steal a point for his side.
Carlos Alberto Parreira's men started out much stronger creating the first opportunity when Teko Modise struck an excellent 30-yard strike that Joao Lama punched away.
Surprise Moriri then failed to connect with a Sibusiso Zuma cross that flew across the face of goal as the Bafana Bafana continued to do all the early running.
In the 25th minute, a slip by Aaron Mokoena in defence allowed Flavio Amado in on goal, but he shot straight at Moneeb Josephs from the edge of the penalty area, before Moriri wasted another chance at the other end when he fired into the crowd.
And South Africa were made to pay for their earlier misses when they fell behind on the half-hour mark thank to an acrobatic header from Manucho in the centre of the penalty area - the striker finishing off Flavio's cross.
Zuma almost equalised when Lama missed an attempted punch from a corner, but he flashed his header wide.
Thembinkosi Fanteni then spurned a good chance at the start of the second half when he lost his footing after being put through by Lerato Chabangu as the South Africans looked to draw level.
Benson Mhlongo also missed an easy header on the hour mark after Modise's corner was laid on for the defender by Steven Pienaar.
Substitute Batista Ze Kalanga - a constant threat throughout the second half - almost doubled the lead three minutes later when his thunderous drive from the edge of the penalty area flew narrowly wide as the game began to open up.
Flavio then forced Josephs to save with his feet from a 12-yard shot on the left, before Fanteni finally produced a shot on target when he drew a save at full stretch from Lama with a 25-yard strike.
As South Africa struggled to create openings, a Modise free-kick finally managed to threaten as it was nodded on by Mokoena before clipping the fingers of the Angolan custodian and coming back off the upright.
Lama was again in the thick of the action two minutes later when he was forced to charge out and punch away a dangerous long ball.
But he could do nothing about substitute Van Heerden's goal - the midfielder sparing South Africa's blushes four minutes from time as he picked up the ball on the left, cut inside two defenders and unleashed a dipping shot to salvage a point.
