Sweden scored a dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 win over South Africa in their FIFA Women's World Cup Finals encounter at Sky Stadium on July 23, the 18,317 fans present seeing "Blagult" clinch victory in stoppage time in awful conditions - even by Wellington's standards - to dash hopes of another upset in a tournament which had already witnessed a handful occur in the first three days of action. "Banyana Banyana" were swiftly into their stride, Bongeka Gamede's sweeping cross-field ball from halfway bringing Jermaine Seoposenwe into play on the right. Her cross was headed out by Magdalena Eriksson to Thembi Kgatlana, whose wild shot threatened to clear the stadium! Johanna Kaneryd was making some eye-catching runs down the right for Sweden early doors, and it was from one such raid that they earned a fourteenth minute corner, which Jonna Andersson delivered right into the danger zone. Kaylin Swart, South Africa's 'keeper, did just enough to avert the threat amidst a mass of yellow-shirted opponents. After a long-range effort from South African captain Refiloe Jane had Zecira Musovic back-pedalling - the ball landed on the roof of the net, Sweden threatened via another set-piece in the twentieth minute. Kosovare Asllani's free-kick picked out Filippa Angeldal, whose twenty yard drive was spilled by Swart, the 'keeper quickly grabbing the ball before any harm could result from her error. The Swedes threatened again minutes later, Eriksson sending Andersson down the left, from where she sent an angled cross careering across the bows of the incoming Stina Blackstenius. But they certainly weren't having it all their own way, with Kgatlana giving her opponents plenty of cause for concern with her lively play and movement in attack. After Musovic was right behind a stinging drive from Seoposenwe on the half-hour, Sweden retorted with two very close calls immediately afterwards. Kaneryd and Asllani combined with Angeldal, whose teasing lob towards Blackstenius, racing in on the far post, was turned round the upright by Swart. From the resulting corner, Angeldal unleashed a volley which struck Hildah Magaia on the elbow, prompting penalty appeals - nothing doing, said the Video Assistant Referee, to which Peter Gerhardsson's team responded with further pressure, forcing another corner. Andersson whipped this one into the heart of the goalmouth again, and again Swart stood tall, punching the ball off the head of Amanda Ilestedt, who would get her head to another Andersson delivery in the 42nd minute, the central defender directing the ball narrowly past the near post, with the aid of a deflection. Cue another Andersson delivery, and another instance of Ilestedt raising merry hell once again, her header this time grazing the top of the crossbar. South Africa were having real issues dealing with these set-pieces, and with Sweden's attacks generally, another on the stroke of half-time seeing a twenty-five yarder from Elin Rubensson sizzle past the post after an Andersson cross had been cleared off the toes of Fridolina Rolfo by Lebohang Ramalepe. Before referee Ekaterina Koroleva blew for half-time, Kgatlana gave Sweden further cause for concern with a counter-attack in which she took on three opponents. Her finish on this occasion saw the ball clear the bar by some distance, but 147 seconds after play resumed in the second spell, she and her "Banyana Banyana" team-mates were dancing up a storm, having taken the lead.

Kgatlana's pace was the catalyst to the goal, two defenders being left in her slipstream as she raced to latch onto Gamede's raking ball forward down the left. Upon securing possession, the striker raced past Ilestedt before checking inside, only to see the defender recover enough to deflect the goalbound shot. Musovic parried the ball into the stride of Magaia, who bundled it home from close range - South Africa 1, Sweden 0! Magaia injured herself when scoring the goal, and had to be withdrawn from the fray soon afterwards, the break giving Sweden time to regroup, refocus and revise their strategy, now that they were trailing by a goal. On the hour, an Andersson corner was headed out to Bjorn, whose volley was blocked. The ball eventually found its way to Ilestedt, who drew another save from Swart. When she was next tested, the 'keeper never stood a chance, ricochets coming to Sweden's advantage as they drew level in the 66th minute. Angeldal spread play wide to Kaneryd, who delivered a cross beyond Blackstenius. Retreating behind her was the covering figure of Ramalepe, off whom the ball ricocheted into the path of Rolfo, whose run the fullback was covering. The powerfully built flank player knew little about it as the sphere struck her and flew into the far corner of the net - a Keystone Cops equaliser, but do you think the Swedes were complaining? Rolfo certainly wasn't - she had a World Cup Finals goal to her name, and a vital one in the context of this contest. There was only one team in it after this, and Sweden piled on the pressure in search of a winner. Ilestedt directed a header at Swart following an Asllani free-kick, while a corner from Sweden's skipper caused pandemonium in the African champions' defence eight minutes from time. They survived this scare, but it was very much a case of trying to hang on until the final whistle for "Banyana Banyana", as Sweden were all over them like a rash in their pursuit of a match-winning goal. Three minutes from time, Olivia Schough cut in off the left and chipped a cross to the far post. Swart came for it, but slipped at the vital moment, an action which put Kaneryd off as she looked to clinch the points. Another Swedish corner followed - they forced thirteen in this contest. And this one, in stoppage time, proved decisive, Asllani's delivery picking out Ilestedt, whose downward header from four yards broke South African hearts and clinched victory for Sweden. They looked to increase their winning margin before the final whistle, with Asllani's corner prompting a header from Caroline Seger, only for Swart to save in front of Rebecka Blomqvist as she hovered in hope of turning home any spills. None was forthcoming on this occasion, but Sweden had done enough to prevail 2-1 in decidedly challenging conditions as they embark on a campaign in which an improvement on their third placing in 2019 will be well received by those of a "Blagult" persuasion. Sweden:     Musovic; Bjorn, Ilestedt, Eriksson, Andersson; Angeldal (Bennison, 67), Asllani, Rubensson (Seger, 81); Kaneryd (Hurtig, 88), Blackstenius (Blomqvist, 67), Rolfo (Schough, 67) Sth Africa:     Swart; Ramalepe, Mbane, Gamede, Holweni; Jane (booked, 89), Motlhalo (Kgoale, 67), Biyana (booked, 74); Seoposenwe, Magaia (Salgado, 56), Kgatlana Referee:     Ekaterina Koroleva (USA)