Soccer: A draw against Congo, and one point, is all South Africa need to book their place at the World Cup finals, writes Andrew Muchineripi
There is no higher peak in African football than qualifying for the World Cup finals and South Africa can realise that dream this Saturday provided they avoid defeat against Congo at FNB Stadium.
One point is what Bafana Bafana need. One precious point to add to the 10 already amassed in Group 3 from two victories over the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) and a win against and draw with Zambia.
The only match to yield no return was an April excursion to Pointe-Noire where intimidation on and off the field reduced the African champions to a pale shadow of their normal selves and they meekly surrendered in a two-goal defeat.
It was the darkest day since Clive Barker succeeded Augusto Palacios as national coach more than three years ago with a lenient Malian referee repeatedly allowing the Congolese to elbow opponents in aerial duels.
Before half-time Mark Fish was a spectator, his face looking like it had been used as a punchbag by Mike Tyson, and a couple of early second-half goals from substitute Macchembe Younga-Mouhani did the trick.
In the following round of qualifying matches, Congo surrendered their unbeaten record when conceding three goals in Zambia and Barker lost kilograms while defensively-suspect South Africa scraped a 2-1 win over the Congolese from Kinshasa.
The South Africans were back in contention and when they overwhelmed Zambia at FNB Stadium in June and Congo squeezed past their Central African neighbours, Bafana Bafana took over first place through a superior goal difference.
Finally in front, the African champions must stay in pole position until 5.15pm on Satuday and an invitation will be forthcoming to join 31 other nations next June at the quadrennial showcase of international football.
Preparations for a match expected to fill the 80 000-capacity FNB Stadium long before kickoff have been contrasting, with South Africa spending a few days at Rand Stadium and Congo a few weeks in the Italian Alps.
This would trigger considerable concern were it not for the uncanny ability of Barker to judge his charges, who arrived over several days this week from the United States, Europe and England and around South Africa.
Many observers believed it suicidal to play Holland in June just four days before the crucial clash with Zambia yet the comprehensive defeat by the Dutch was swiftly forgotten as Chipolopolo were run ragged. It is surely asking too much to expect a repeat of those first 15 minutes when Helman Mkhalele tormented the visitors with his pace and ball control and Philemon Masinga again proved the perfect predator.
After eight minutes Mkhalele struck the first goal and the “Midnight Express” set up Masinga for the second with Mark Williams completing a deeply satisfying success via a goal midway through the second half.
Striker Williams, two-goal hero of the 1996 African Nations Cup final triumph over Tunisia, may start on the bench again as Barker believes he would be “stupid” to change a winning line-up. Assuming the 11 that started against Zambia are retained, the line-up would be: Andre Arendse; Sizwe Motaung, Neil Tovey, Fish, Lucas Radebe, Mkhalele; Doctor Khumalo, Eric Tinkler, Shoes Moshoeu; Masinga, Shaun Bartlett.
Don’t be surprised to see Bartlett make continual angled runs to create space for the midfielders then retire exhausted but satisfied after about an hour in a swop with fellow Capetonian Williams.
While football truly can be a funny game and Barker is correct to plea for a cautious approach, the odds certainly favour his team if only because they enjoy home advantage.
Success in football stems from winning at home and avoiding defeat away and only Nigeria among five World Cup visitors since 1992 have left Soccer City unconquered.
South Africa have not conceded a goal at home in 450 minutes of action against attacks boasting household names like Nigerian Rasheed Yekini and Zambian Kalusha Bwalya.
Areas for concern include public expectations that South Africa will qualify, which could lead to tension among the players if Congo are still level entering the final 20 minutes.
No one outside of Congo gives the Red Devils a chance and they are already heroes by getting this far. But it is indicative of their desire to go all the way that an impoverished government fighting a mini civil war found the money for an Alpine adventure.