South Africa ride on last-minute equalizer to hold Malaysia 4-4 to seal Hockey Test series

The South Africa men’s hockey team made the right noises ahead of the upcoming FIH Hockey World League semifinals in Johor Bahru, winning the four-match Test series against Malaysia with a game to spare, following a 4-4 draw in the third Test at the University of North West Hockey Centre in Potchefstroom .

The green-and-yellow brigade have thus won the series 2-0, having won the first two Test matches.

The South Africans showed plenty of mental toughness after leaking two goals in the opening stanza.

Malaysia’s trump card upfront, Faisal Saari, orchestrated a nice move from the left flank and fed Izwan Firdaus, who sounded the board in the 27th minute to mark the third consecutive time that the visitors have scored first in the series.

The black-and-yellow brigade doubled the advantage two minutes later when Chua Boon Huat rattled the South African cage after being set up by Faiz Helmi.

The visitors led 2-0 at the break.

Malaysia were sitting pretty when Razie Abdul Rahim made it 3-0 in the 43rd minute.

Trailing 0-3, South Africa mounted a superb fightback reducing the deficit through Taine Paton in the 45^th minute.

Pierre de Voux made the scoreline 2-3 in the 59th minute. Captain Austin Smith finally converted the first of their six short corners in the 63rd minute.

Malaysia pulled ahead in the 65^th minute when their captain Shahrun Nabil pulled off a fine deflection goal.

South Africa sent its home fans into frenzy as Julian Hykes made it 4-4 with just eight seconds left in the match.

It may be worth recalling that former South African hockey player Charlie Pereira was named its head coach of for the upcoming FIH Hockey World League semifinals.

Pereira took over the reins from Gregg Clark, who has assumed charge of the Indian junior hockey team. According to the South Africa Hockey Association sources, Pereira has been given a long rope – he will be in charge of the national men’s hockey team until the 2014 Commonwealth Games to be held at Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 3.

The newly-appointed coach earlier had earlier served as the interim head coach and shepherded the green-and-yellow brigade to the Hockey World League semifinals after qualifying from the third men’s round 2 tournament held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last March.

The twelfth-ranked South Africa outfit had finished runners-up to South American powerhouse Argentina in the World League Round 2 event.

South Africa pulverized Brazil 9-0 in their opening match riding on a fine hat-trick by Clint Panther. They thumped the USA 6-1 in their second match before drubbing Trinidad and Tobago 10-2.

South Africa then went on to lose 2-4 to Argentina before wiping out Chile 6-1 in their final league tie.

Lloyd Norris-Jones did the star turn for the South Africans, pumping in as many as nine goals in the competition.

South Africa are placed in Pool B of the second men’s Hockey World League semifinal at Johor Bahru alongside teams like England, Pakistan and hosts Malaysia.

The Pool A of the Johor Bahru events features Olympic gold medalists Germany, Argentina, Japan and South Africa.

The men’s team recently received a shot in the arm when the South African Hockey Association (SAHA) has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with quick service and casual dining restaurant franchisor Famous Brands Limited.