Teji Savanier scored the winner in stoppage time as France came back to win 4-3 against South Africa in the Group stages of Tokyo 2020. After a cagey first half, both teams came to life in the second half with seven goals scored.
Kobamelo Kodisang scored the first goal of the game in the 53rd minute for South Africa. 35-year-old French captain Andre-Pierre Gignac equalized for his first goal of the game four minutes later. Evidence Makgopa put the Africans ahead before Gignac once again equalized with twelve minutes left on the clock.
Teboho Mokoena scored once again to give South Africa the lead. Gignac then converted from the penalty spot with four minutes of normal time left to complete his hattrick. Late into stoppage time, South African hearts were broken when Savanier latched onto a loose ball and fired into the bottom left corner of the goal to give the French their first lead of the game. France held on to the slender lead for a crucial win in the group stages of Tokyo 2020.
In group d, Brazil held Ivory Coast to a goalless draw after playing most of the match with 10 men. Douglas Luiz was sent off in the 13th minute for a bad tackle. In the other Group D game, Felix Uduokhai gave the Germans a 3-2 win with a late header in a five-goal thriller. Both teams had a total of 32 attempts on goal with Germany twice throwing away the lead.
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