History made; Underdogs South Africa edge past Italy with late goal to reach last 16

Ecstasy for Banyana Banyana, Italy shellshocked; Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Wellington, New Zealand: In a World Cup that can't stop giving, South Africa took their place in a line of disruptors, shaking up the footballing hierarchy by deposing Italy from the knockout rounds in a 3-2 victory in Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday. A chaotic affair from start to finish, the crescendo was brought by a talismanic and conductor-like figure of Thembi Kgatlana, her goal deciding the tie in the dying minutes of extra time.

South Africa, 54th in the FIFA rankings, hadn't won a single World Cup before, and entered Wellington knowing that only a win over Italy (ranked 16th) would place them in the round of 16, becoming only the third African nation to do so.

“Over the last three weeks, I’ve lost three family members. I could have went home, but I chose to stay with my girls,” said Kgatlana. “Today we just told ourselves, we have to fight. We were the underdogs and I think it worked perfectly for us."

Mathematically, Italy had it easier; a single point would suffice, and it seemed they got their wish with super-sub Cristiana Girelli, as she'd done in the opening match against Argentina, coming to the Azzure's rescue, heading a corner kick backwards with the ball bouncing off Caruso's leg and into the net to equalize the score-line.

Ironically it would be Girelli who would fail to land the killing blow to give Italy a crucial one-goal lead in the 88th minute. After Sofia Cantore's cross set her up mere yards away from goal, Girelli put the ball right where South African goalie Kaylin Swartz was, an uncharacteristic lapse of composure resulting in an easy save.

This was just one instance in a string of lucrative chances left on the table by Italy, who initially appeared to be unfazed by the embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Sweden in their previous group stage match, opening the tie on a positive note. The ball was worked near the flanks before the nimble Chiara Beccari was fouled inside the box by Karabo Dhlamini in the 10th minute, with Arianna Caruso coolly dispatching the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Caruso (middle) giving Italy the perfect start; Marty Melville/Getty Images

It was, however, a deja vu of their previous outing, with South Africa gradually picking up steam and threatening to punish Italy on the counters. By the time Robyn Moodaly's shot hit the post in the 21st minute, the pendulum had swung heavily in Banyana Banyana's favour, with Kgatlana's blistering pace the key weapon in their arsenal.

Even when Italy had the ball, which was most of the time, South Africa were resolute and stolid in their defending and trying to force Italy into mistakes, exposing their lack of composure and patience in buildup. Right there lay South Africa's equalizer as Benedetta Orsi, in a bid to retain possession, passed it backwards for an own goal in the 33rd minute.

Costly error for Orsi; Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images

"Today we started well, then after the own goal there was a bit of fear," said Italy's head coach Milena Bertolini. "The main opponent was not South Africa, but ourselves."

The Azzure were presented with another opportunity to head into half time in the lead with wunderkind Chiara Beccari on the end of an incisive throughball, charging down the box and thundering her shot way over the crossbar, a poor decision considering Barbara Bonansea making herself available for a cross. 

With the young members of the squad in Beccari and Giulia Dragoni already under considerable scrutiny by the Italian media, Bertolini was quick to their rescue–"I don't think this group lacked understanding, the girls get on well with each other."

The second half would pick up right from where it left off, as Italy's initial intensity led to a decline in quality, while South Africa's confidence snowballing. Their tenacity would be rewarded, Kgatlana's elegant reverse pass allowing Magaia, her left foot sweeping the ball past Durante in the 67th minute to make it 2-1, before Caruso's equalizer nullified that advantage.

Magaia’s left foot was too much for Durante to handle–twice; Maja Hitij/Getty Images

But Magaia's left foot of doom was again involved in the 92nd minute—Jermaine Seoposenwe's cross from the left flank was looking to pose no problems to the Italian defence, only for Magaia to sneak away with the ball. A measured low cross found Kgatlana who did not miss from close range, before getting swarmed by her compatriots, rushing from the bench, knowing the historical implications behind that goal. The full-time whistle could've been blown right then.

The moment history was made; Lars Baron/Getty Images

"They fought like warriors," South African manager, and part of the 1993 squad Desiree Ellis said. "They fought like the heroines that we know that they are. They fought to be historically remembered and they've made history [by] not just getting our first win, but going to the round of 16 and that is freaking amazing."

Bertolini, at the end of her contract as the Azzure coach, was introspective. "My future doesn't matter now," she said. "The future of the movement counts, which I hope will grow more and more. And I hope I have left a legacy with this national team."