Mokoena Penalty Snags South Africa a Point from Wasteful Czech Republic

It was a scrappy, mostly one-sided affair. Then, late on, Pavel Sulc's handball. An inadvertent error, sure, but it handed Mokoena the spot-kick. He didn't miss. Michal Sadilek's sixth-minute opener? Gone.

Czech Republic dominated. Absolutely dominated. Their problem? Couldn't hit a barn door. Patrik Schick somehow missed a sitter inside the first minute. Vladimir Darida, unmarked, blew it early in the second half. Schick again, a free header, straight at Ronwen Williams. You name it, they fluffed it. For 80 minutes, South Africa did little to bother Matej Kovar. Thapelo Maseko's blocked shot, after Kovar fumbled a cross, was about it. Before the penalty, that is.

Hugo Broos, South Africa's manager, was predictably bullish afterwards. 'Very proud of my team,' he chirped, 'when you see the reaction after the Mexico game.' He even called it a 'fantastic performance.' Yeah, right. He pointed to the Czechs being 'powerful, and very tall,' and his side doing 'very well with the second balls.' Take it with a pinch of salt.

That late leveller? It blew Group A wide open. Both South Africa and Czech Republic still hold their fate, able to hit four points and snag at least third place. That's usually enough for the last 32. South Africa plays South Korea next. The Czechs? They need to find a pulse.

Broos' side looked toothless for much of the night, no doubt. But the way they finished, actually pressing and creating half-chances after Mokoena's equaliser, offers a tiny flicker. Maybe they *could* find another gear. Maybe.