Bafana Bafana marked the first official game at Nelspruit’s new 2010 World Cup venue, the Mbombela Stadium, with a confidence-boosting 4-0 win over Thailand on Sunday afternoon, 16 May 2010.

Inspired by a sell-out crowd that created a vibrant atmosphere, South Africa cruised to a deserved victory thanks to a brace from Katlego Mphela and strikes by Siphiwe Tshabalala and Bernard Parker.

Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira waited until after the hour mark to send on substitutes and try out different combinations, suggesting that the Brazilian tactician appears to have settled on the majority of his starting XI, with the likes of Tsepo Masilela, Aaron Mokoena and Steven Pienaar slotting into their respective positions once they join the camp.

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