Brazil’s first significant chance of Rio 2016 came in the 16th minute when Gabriel Gabigol Barbosa found space to drop a ball over the head of the last South Africa defender Mulomowandau Matholo, but Gabriel Jesus couldn’t quite convert the opportunity. “I’m not used to missing those chances. I’m disappointed. I won’t be able to sleep tonight because of that one”.
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“For us the draw is a defeat”, he said.
However, he endured a frustrating afternoon on a sandy and slow surface in Brasilia as South Africa held out despite Mothobi Mvala’s red card half an hour from time.
Group A is now in a four-way tie on one point after Iraq and Denmark also played out a scoreless draw.
Host team Brazil will look to redeem themselves from a disappointing opening round performance in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics men’s football competitions as they face lowly Iraq, who pulled off a draw with Denmark, at the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasília on Sunday, August 7.
That result was not the only surprise as their great rivals Argentina lost 2-0 to Portugal.
CoSport, which is authorized Games ticket reseller for residents of the United States, the UK, Australia and several other countries, required many customers to show up at a local ticket collection center in the host city to claim tickets bought earlier from the firm in their home countries. The team had its trip to Brazil delayed by a mix-up at an airport.
The delay didn’t seem to affect the 1996 gold medallists as four goals from Oghenekaro Etebo edged a memorable nine-goal thriller.
In Group C, defending champion Mexico drew 2-2 with Germany despite twice having the lead in the northeastern city of Salvador. In the other group game, South Korea routed Fiji 8-0.
The floodgates would open in the second half, with a three-goal flurry starting in the 62nd minute that included two strikes within two minutes from Kwon Chang-Hoon.
Brazil has never won an Olympic gold medal in soccer.
Brazil are so keen to impress on home soil that they rested many of their stars, including Neymar, for the games – contributing to their poor showing at the Copa America in June.
South Africa doesn’t have notable players on the roster.
“We don’t have to think that we have made it. Coming back to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, our team beat Brazil at the first round and they ended up not qualifying”.
A flight delay stranded the Nigeria men’s soccer team in the United States on the same day the club was set to play its first game in the Olympic Games. Brazil came closest to opening their score when Jesus had the ball just a few feet away from the goal mouth.
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The 75-year-old triple World Cup victor had hip surgery in December and needs a walking stick to get around.
