South Africa looked far from contenders for a place at the 2006 World Cup in Germany as they laboured to a 2-1 win over Uganda Saturday in a Group 2 qualifier. Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune converted a harshly awarded penalty midway through the first half to give Bafana Bafana (The Boys) a lead they did not deserve before a modest crowd at cool, partly cloudy FNB Stadium.
Uganda striker David Obua levelled from another penalty in the second half before Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Steven Pienaar snatched the winner with a close-range shot after 72 minutes.
The visitors should have equalised again three minutes from full-time, but experienced striker Hassan Mubiru shot wide with only goalkeeper Hans Vonk to beat after a blunder by South Africa fullback Thabiso Rammile.
Victory pushed South Africa, qualifiers for the World Cup in 1998 and 2002, four points clear of Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo at the top of Group 2. DR Congo host Ghana Sunday in a crucial sixth-round fixture.
Cape Verde Islands, Burkina Faso and bottom-of-the-table Uganda appear out of contention for the solitary place at the World Cup as the second half of the 10-round qualifying programme began this weekend.
England-born coach Stuart Baxter will be concerned that what appeared to be the easiest of the five South African World Cup fixtures this year turned into such a struggle to collect maximum points.
And it could have been worse for Bafana Bafana as only Nigerian referee Chukwudi Chukwujekwu appeared to know why a penalty was awarded against the East Africans after 21 minutes with even television replays offering no clues.
Fortune slipped past one Ugandan on the edge of the penalty area and his cross eluded another before being cleared by Nestory Kizito under pressure from recalled Sibusiso Zuma.
But the West African official pointed to the spot and although goalkeeper Postnet Omwony dived the right way, he could not stop a powerful, rising penalty kick from Fortune hitting the net.
Uganda responded with a series of attacks and South Africa led a charmed life as Suleiman Tenywa fired just over and captain and defender Ibrahim Sekajja forced Hans Vonk to acrobatically push a drive away for a corner.
There was no debate over the Uganda penalty as South Africa defender Nasief Morris pulled Geoff Serunkuma inside the box after an Obua pass had carved an opening.
Obua, a son of the long-time leading football official in Uganda, collected his fourth goal of the qualifying campaign by slotting the ball into the right corner of the net while Vonk dived the other way.
Stunned South Africa kept calm and when Germany-based Delron Buckley crossed into the goalmouth, unmarked Pienaar drilled a low shot across Omwony into the far corner of the net for a lucky victory.
South Africa resume their qualifying programme in June with fixtures against Cape Verde Islands (away) and four-time African champions Ghana (home).
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