After the stunning display against Ghana South Africa have to lift themselves once again to take on the wily, talented Tunisians SOCCER: Paul Mandelson
JOHN MOSHOEU, Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe and Clive Barker must have had countless dreams — asleep and wide awake — about crucial tackles, glorious goals and winning the African Cup of Nations. Bet you the national debt against a Castle that those fantasies never once featured anybody wearing the red and white of Tunisia. Radebe and his Leeds United teammate Tony Yeboah often joked about who would come out on top when they met in the Cup of Nations decider, and Barker has constantly said that his dream final would be South Africa versus Ghana. Well now they, and the rest of the squad, have been there and done that. Now it’s time to refocus the dream and look a very different reality in the face. While you certainly want to play your best in the semi-final, no team would like that to be remembered as their finest hour. There is no question, after Wednesday night’s quite stunning display against Ghana, that South Africa have the weaponry and the ammunition to blast Tunisia aside. But rewind to Wednesday morning in Durban, and in every corner of the country where soccer is talked, and virtually everyone from casual fans to experts was saying exactly the same thing about Zambia. The fact is, Tunisia are a very awkward and well organised team and they signalled that early on in the tournament by giving the Ghanaians — who still had Abedi Pele to orchestrate the music — a most difficult match. And if you want a clue as to why that is, take a good look when the teams step out onto the FNB pitch at the Tunisian Polish coach Henri Kasperczak. >From his thick head of steely grey hair to his ramrod straight bearing, Kasperczak has the air about him of an iron-willed man. And that single-mindedness and discipline has taken deeper and deeper root in his team with each game that they have played. Tunisia are not a great side, but they have an extremely shrewd coach and a group of eager young players who understand the team pattern — tight defence, high work rate in midfield and quick thrusting counter attacks using the full width of the pitch, and the element of surprise provided by midfielders ghosting into the penalty area with well-timed late runs. When all of this works together, as it did against Zambia, it is very effective. The Tunisians also have some very gifted individuals. Playmaker Zoubeir Beya, the 1995 Footballer of the Year in his country, is a class act. He has excellent close control, passes with vision and precision, and has the ability to ghost away from his markers with his intelligent running off the ball. Kasperczak will use him to test the patience and judgment of South Africa’s defensive midfielders and he’ll take it as an encouraging sign if Beya starts getting kicked. Barker must ask himself whether he can risk the red mist that seems to surround Linda Buthelezi when confronted by skilful players who know how to hold up the ball and change the pace of the game. Feeding off Beya’s creative abilities are two strikers of very contrasting styles. Mehdi Ben Slimane, shaped like a champagne cork but fast, physical and smart, runs straight and hard at his man and forces defenders to scramble. Against Zambia that created openings for Adel Sellimi, whose running off the ball is exceptional and very difficult to pick up. Expect Ben Slimane to start the game tearing into Sizwe Motaung the way he did with Zambian fullback Hillary Makasa, looking to turn him inside out and force either Neil Tovey or Mark Fish to help out — which creates space for Sellimi and Beya to make their late runs. Fullback Hedi Ben Rekhissa often comes forward down the other flank to support the attack and is deceptive in a very different way. A bit like French rugby wing Emile Ntamack, he moves with long strides and easily lulls opponents into thinking he’s half-paced. He’ll need to be watched closely at free kicks. Most of Tunisia’s attacking play is launched from an excellent back four — although they will badly miss suspended hatchet man Sami Trabelsi — centred on their quietly efficient sweeper Ferid Chouchane and the rather more muscular Mounir Boukadida. Their contribution doesn’t just stop with stopping. All the Tunisian defenders are very comfortable on the ball, pass accurately and constantly look for the quick counterattack. Against Zambia, Tunisia were able to impose their pattern of play early on in the game, and apart from one brief spell after Zambia narrowed the gap to 3-1, their grip was never tested much less loosened. But the Zambians never came close to the intensity with which they lit up Springbok Park in the quarter-final against Egypt. And even that performance was nothing liek the show that South Africa put on against Ghana. Without rushing headlong at their opponents and trying to win it in the opening half-hour, South Africa must still take the game to the Tunisians. The crowd will be roaring the home team on — some sustained pressure on Tunisa at the start will effectively harness that energy behind the South African team. South Africa most certainly have the players to take the trophy. Moshoeu, whose immense talent seemed set to be recorded under `I’ for `if only’, has suddenly burst through the frustratingly low ceiling he’d created for himself. He’s playing with pace, passing with vision and finishing the half-chances in spectacular style. He can do for South Africa what Beya does for the opposition — and trump his best tricks. Doctor Khumalo can also deliver something special. And surely, surely one of Eric Tinkler’s cracking free kicks simply has to go in. Tinkler, of course, will be a key man in a defensive effort that will, in many ways, be trickier than the plan that effectively bottled the Ghanaians up. In that match, Barker correctly put Radebe onto Yeboah and Ghana played into that by failing to offer an attacking
That will not be the case with the Tunisians and that will require that each South African — especially the midfielders — prepare himself to track back when Ben Rekhissa lopes in from the back, or Beya drifts out to the side, or Fish is left deep in enemy territory after an attacking surge. South Africa do look solid at the back, not least because they have a reliable goalkeeper. But the key to containing Tunisia is to disrupt their attacking pattern before it develops. And then, of course, South Africa will need to score some goals of their own. The excellent goal scored by Shaun Bartlett and the Cape Town Spurs man’s sharp linking with Mark Williams presents Barker with quite a dilemma. Phil Masinga has served his one-match suspension but it is his combination with Williams South aFrica’s best? The evidence of earlier games suggests not, and Bartlett’s ability to set up chances for others suggests he should retain his place. Quite a nice problem for Barker to have, though. And he has every reason to believe that all those dreams are about to come true. The presence of Tunisa, of course, has meant a significant change of script. But the thousands who will pack the FNB tomorrow won’t mind that. In fairytales, it’s the ending that really counts.