The highlight of the game was the two goals by striker Bernard

Parker who

scored in each half and a superb goal in the 90th minute by super

sub Daine

Klate. It was Klate's first goal for his country.

This was a much needed morale boosting win but Malawi are no world

beaters

and coach Kinnah Phiri brought a side that looked to be ready for

the

slaughter. They tried hard but could not match the home side in any

department.

It was Bafana's first win since they defeated Equatorial Guinea 4-1

in an

African Nations cup qualifier at home in June.

But a win is a win and after only one win in seven matches under

head coach

Joel Santana both he and the country will be happy with this much

needed

result with what was a Bafana team made up of Premier Soccer League

players.

The positives were that Parker looked good and stretched his goal

scoring

form in the PSL into the national side and Santana gave the unknown

Orlando

Pirates defender Rooi Mahamutsa his debut when he replaced one of

the stars

on the night Siboniso Gaxa in the 75th minute.

There were few bad performances in this Bafana side. Gaxa, Teko

Modise,

Siphiwe Tshabalala Robyn Johannes at centre back were all solid. All

the

players on the bench expect for reserve keeper Moeneeb Josephs got a

run and

that was the aim of the game for Santana to watch his fringe players

under

competitive match conditions.

Bafana finally broke their long goal drought when Parker headed home

Tshabalala's corner for the only goal of an otherwise uninspiring

first half

in the 32nd minute.

Bafana coach Joel Santana has finally got the message that attack is

the

best form of defence when he ditched his conservative system that

employed

two defensive midfielders in the past seven games he has been in

charge and

opted for a more attacking and sensible 4-4-2 formation.

But it was the Malawi Flames who did the early attacking. Bafana

keeper

Itumeleng Khune was forced to make two saves within the sixth

minute. He was

unable to prevent Noel Mkandawire's shot going for a corner and from

the set

piece the Kaizer Chiefs star did well to stop a long range shot from

Chiukepo Msowoya.

But after that attack it was all Bafana who looked like they were

going to

struggle get the ball past Malawi goalkeeper Trust Lunda. Eleazar

Rodgers

failed to connect a great cross form right back Gaxa in the eighth

minute

and a minute later Lunda denied Parker a goal with a good save.

Bafana skipper on the night, Modise who had a free run in the

midfield shot

wide after 17 minutes.

Then came in-form Parker's goal to the relief of the large crowd. It

was the

Thanda Royal Zulu striker's first goal for his country and his fifth

goal of

the season.

Phiri made two surprising substitutions four minutes from half time

when he

replaced Mkandawire and Davie Banda with Orlando Pirates star

Josephy

Kamwendo and Peter Wadabwa.

Modise tried his luck with a long range shot that flew over the

Malawi

crossbar in the 53rd minute as the home side looked for that second

goal to

take the game away from the visitors.

Modise had his shot on the hour mark blocked on the way to goal by

Malawi

skipper James Sangala, the former Free State Stars defender.

Lunda

smothered

a Parker shot three minutes later as Bafana looked for that second

goal.

Substitute Diane Klate wasted a glorious chance to make it 2-0 in

the

77thminute when he was set up by parker but the SuperSport united

winger shot

wide when he had the goal at his mercy.

But Parker made it 2-0 when he finished off a pass from substitute

Katlego

Mashego in the 81st minute.

Klate then added the cherry on top when he blasted home goal number

three in injury time.