Jonty Rhodes’s transition from “one-day wonder” to Test anchor continues this week with his third consecutive Test, the first time he has played three in a row for three years. Rhodes was an ever-present in the South African side for 27 Tests beginning in the 1992/93 season with the arrival of India for four Tests.
Three-match series against Sri Lanka (101 not out in Colombo) and Australia (heroic 76 not out in Sydney) followed and after 10 Tests his average was close to 40.
But technical flaws were then exposed, slowly but ruthlessly efficiently. He survived for 17 more Tests, selectors, coaches and team-mates willing him to succeed more than believing he would.
Then, after the fifth Test against England in Cape Town, 1995, he was dropped. His next four matches were all one-offs, all hidings- to-nothing. One against India in Ahmedaba where he ran out Mohammad Azharuddin with one of his finest dive-pick-up-and-throws ever, and caught Sachin Tendulkar with a ridiculously acrobatic effort.
Back again for Australia at the Wanderers; Steve Waugh and Greg Blewett batted all day. Another one-off against Pakistan at Sheikhupura when Jacques Kallis developed appendicitis. And the final one-off at the back end of a losing series in Australia. Not even a sniff of the squad on return to South Africa. And now this.
“Yes, of course it crossed my mind that my career was over, I’m not stupid! But I never gave up,” the little big man says.
“That is the key. The moment you give up then your career will never come back to you. But I’ll never, ever take anything for granted; never stop working. I’m enjoying what I’m doing now more than ever, and probably batting better than ever, but it can all end with a couple of bad shots or an injury.”
@ Bargain: Keepers for sale
Andrew Muchineripi World Cup
What have most African World Cup goalkeepers and Count Dracula got in common? They hate crosses!
While it would be wrong to lay the blame for a disappointing showing by the continent at France 98 solely at the hands of Morocco’s Driss Benzekri, Tunisia’s Chokri al-Ouaer and Nigeria’s Peter Rufai, they performed far below international standards.
Rufai, who understudies Cameroon guardian Jacques Songo’o at Spanish club Deportivo la Coruna, was directly to blame for two of the four Danish goals that sent Nigeria tumbling to a shock 4-1 second-round defeat.
After reacting slowly to a swerving second- minute shot that gave Denmark the lead, he parried a free kick directly into the path of Brian Laudrup, who struck the second with just 12 minutes gone.
Blind faith and a passionate desire to see Africa emerge as a world force probably convinced many, including the noble Muchineripi clan, that the Super Eagles would stage the mother of all comebacks and qualify to play Brazil.
We were dreaming and should have realised that a team as motivated, composed, organised and skilful as Denmark were never going to collapse. By the time Rufai presented the fourth goal, the contest was continuing in name only.
Why, I humbly ask, was William Okpara of Orlando Pirates left on the bench? He would surely have done a better job than Rufai, who treated corners and crosses with all the relish that an ice cream salesman views winter.
After a series of disastrous warm-up matches that saw 12 goals conceded in three matches, the Nigerian authorities panicked under public pressure and recalled Rufai, their 1994 World Cup goalkeeper.
But to succeed at the World Cup a team needs many qualities, not least a reliable goalkeeper.
If it is any consolation to a thirty- something footballer who has surely appeared on the world stage for the final time, he had strong competition for the title of worst African goalkeeper.
All the controversy surrounding the last- minute Norwegian penalty against Brazil, that squeezed them into the second round ahead of Morocco, would have been irrelevant had Benzekri not abdicated his responsibilities.
The ultimately crucial clash for the Atlas Lions was the opening group match with Norway, in which they twice led and the Scandinavians twice levelled, thanks to the cowardice of the locally based goalkeeper.
Cowardice may see a harsh condemnation, but how else can one describe a man chosen to defend the honour of this country who was not prepared to challenge the physically imposing Norwegians in the air.
Again the question has to be asked: why was a man lacking the courage to challenge for virtually any ball more than 10mm above sea level selected ahead of Abdelkader al-Brazi?
South Africans may remember that Al-Brazi performed quite adequately against Bafana Bafana in the African Nations Cup, with the goals that beat him stemming from the opportunism of Benni McCarthy and the brilliance of David Nyathi. Number three on the goalkeeping hit list has to be veteran Al-Ouaer, who reduced this Muchineripi to laughter as he attempted to block a cross long after England captain Alan Shearer had headed his country in front.
Al-Ouaer should have been a familiar face, having kept Bafana Bafana at bay for 72 minutes in the 1996 African Nations Cup before substitute Mark Williams decided enough was enough and scored twice in less than 200 seconds.
Songo’o showed much better form than in the African Nations Cup, where he was dropped after two matches, while South African Hans Vonk was undoubtedly the pick of the African goalkeepers. How the Super Eagles could have done with him.