Andrew Muchineripi: Soccer
By early next week the upgrading of Clive=20 Barker from part-time to fulltime national=20 coach will hopefully be finalised and the=20 first, vital steps on the road to France=20 and the 1998 World Cup finals can be=20 walked.
It is never too soon to prepare and one=20 trusts that the South African Football=20 Association, an organisation often more=20 reactive than proactive, realises the=20 enormity of the task lying ahead.=20
Barker and Bafana Bafana have exceeded the=20 wildest expectations of even the most=20 demanding supporters (and there are plenty=20 of them about) by winning the African=20 Nations Cup and qualifying for the World=20 Cup. But the World Cup is another ball game=20 altogether. Mistakes that go unpunished=20 within Africa will be ruthlessly exploited=20 by Ronaldo, Shearer and other predators on=20 the international stage.=20
Now that the euphoria surrounding the=20 victory over Congo has eased, perhaps the=20 time has come to make a sombre assessment=20 of where Bafana Bafana are strong and,=20 equally important, where they are=20 vulnerable.=20
Goalkeeper Andre Arendse has regained his=20 best form after a loss of confidence=20 following the Pointe-Noire debacle and the=20 experience of Mark Anderson and youthful=20 promise of Brian Baloyi provide solid back- up. Neither is guaranteed a ticket to=20 Paris, though, as Grant Johnson from club=20 champions Manning Rangers is knocking on=20 the door with consistently impressive=20 performances. The least he deserves is a=20 chance at the highest level.
The former Soviet Union was often described=20 as a mystery wrapped up in an enigma and=20 the same could be said of the Bafana=20 defence, which has an outstanding record=20 despite leaking alarmingly at times.=20
No goals were conceded in three World Cup=20 qualifiers at the other Theatre of Dreams=20 and two of the three away goals scored=20 against Bafana Bafana came within six=20 minutes in the Pointe-Noire cauldron of=20 hate. So what is the problem?
Vice-captain Sizwe Motaung lacks=20 competition for the No 2 shirt and has=20 given too many indifferent performances.=20 Apart from defensive frailties, the quality=20 of his crosses leaves much to be desired.=20
It may border on the heretical to question=20 the abilities of Mark Fish, but he did not=20 sparkle against Congo and has been rescued=20 by Neil Tovey on several occasions during=20 the cup campaign. His occasional lack of=20 concentration must be rectified.
Tovey, like Philemon Masinga, has taken=20 more than his fair share of blows. Too old,=20 the critics said, and too slow. Yet only=20 captain Lucas Radebe can match his=20 consistency, his professionalism, and his=20 athleticism. With Radebe suspended for the=20 first match at the finals, Tovey is not=20 only likely to be in France, but leading=20 the men in black, white, green and gold=20 when they make their debut. It is an honour=20 he richly deserves.=20
How Radebe must curse the yellow card he=20 needlessly earned against Congo by handling=20 the ball in a position presenting no=20 immediate danger. South Africa are hoping=20 qualifying cautions will be squashed ahead=20 of the finals. It is a forlorn hope.
Midfield lies at the heart of modern=20 football. It is often an overcrowded battle=20 ground where skill and strength are=20 necessary just to survive. It is also an=20 area that presents major headaches for=20 Barker.
Doctor Khumalo is the most adored sportsman=20 in the nation and can land the ball on a=20 20-cent coin from 40m. He does=20 extraordinary things, way beyond the vision=20 and capabilities of most footballers. He=20 also tends to disappear at times, is not=20 renowned for his tackling and harassing,=20 and one television commentator noted during=20 the friendly in England that while Doctor=20 likes the “wing” part of his role, he is=20 less than enthusiastic about the “back”.
Newcastle had the same problem with=20 Frenchman David Ginola and sold him.=20 Compounding the problems created by Khumalo=20 is the poor recent form of Shoes Moshoeu,=20 who has lost much of the sparkle that set=20 the Nations Cup alight.
Eric Tinkler gave one of his best=20 performances against Congo. The Barnsley=20 lad was full of energy and drive and his=20 passing showed distinct improvement, but he=20 is no Doctor or Shoes when it comes to=20 defence-splitting passes.
Helman Mkhalele was brilliant against=20 Zambia and anonymous against Congo.=20 Certainly, he has the speed and the ball=20 control to trouble the best, but can he=20 survive in the harsh, physical World Cup=20 arena?=20
Up front, the problem is finding a=20 reliable, regular partner for leading=20 scorer Masinga. Shaun Bartlett may run well=20 off the ball, but considering he is a=20 striker, should he not be scoring the odd=20 goal as well? He and Khumalo are surely=20 suffering from playing in the Major League=20 Soccer, an American championship that may=20 be financially attractive but lacks the=20 competitive edge of the leading European=20 leagues.=20
Bafana Bafana need thorough examinations=20 and the first one comes on October 11 in=20 France, followed by a possible home-and- away showdown with Nigeria before Brazil=20 arrive in Johannesburg for a December 7=20 clash.=20
South Africa head for Saudi Arabia the same=20 month and the first Confederations Cup with=20 the Czech Republic, the United Arab=20 Emirates and Uruguay providing the first- round opposition.=20
Come February and the African champions=20 must defend their title in Burkina Faso,=20 where suspended Nigeria will be sorely=20 missed but Morocco and Tunisia are likely=20 to prove among the most awkward customers.=20 After that it is time to focus solely on=20 France and one envisages many friendlies=20 being organised far from FNB Stadium and=20 the inspirational 100 000 crowd that=20 cheered its heroes to glory.=20
Who provides the opposition will depend=20 largely on which three countries Bafana=20 Bafana are drawn against in Marseille on=20 December 4.=20
Some critics laughed at Barker when he said=20 the Nations Cup was coming to South Africa;=20 they laughed again when he said World Cup=20 qualification was an attainable goal. Will=20 Clive have the last laugh as well?=20