Andrew Muchineripi Soccer
When the World Cup draw was made in chilly Marseille last December, France and Denmark expressed happiness bordering on arrogance after being placed in the same group as minnows Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
Recent events suggest it may not be quite so easy for the French and Danes with the Saudis holding England goalless at Wembley and Bafana Bafana giving Argentina several scares in Buenos Aires.
Considering France have lost the ability to score goals and Denmark fell at home to Norway in their last warm-up match, Group C could develop into something a little more interesting than a two-horse race.
Philippe Troussier was probably a happier coach than Daniel Passarella when the final whistle blew in Buenos Aires despite the 2-0 loss to a country that has lifted the World Cup twice.
Bafana Bafana were a revelation during the first half on a pitch made heavy and slippery by pre-match rain and it was difficult to believe that these were the same players who had looked so ordinary against Zambia.
This writer cannot recall a South African team that played with such confidence, commitment and aggression away from home and they could have been ahead by half-time.
Midfielder Quinton Fortune, who surely booked his place in the starting line-up against France on June 12 in Marseille, spelt out the intentions of Bafana Bafana with an early shot that flew narrowly wide.
Displaying a refreshing desire to shoot at every opportunity, Brendan Augustine went close twice, Philemon Masinga had a header superbly saved and German Burgos did equally well to push over a “Shoes” Moshoeu drive.
Argentina did have chances, too, notably when top scorer Gabriel Batistuta took advantage of slack marking to beat Hans Vonk only to see the ball trickle across the goal and wide.
There must have been some choice Spanish phrases uttered in the Argentine dressing room at half-time and they worked, as Bafana Bafana never looked quite the same during the second half.
Much less was seen of Helman Mkhalele, Augustine and Moshoeu, and let us hope that the curse of second-half fade-outs that troubled the Clive Barker reign is not about to return.
An early second-half goal by Batistuta, who headed past Vonk with no defender in sight, and another from Ariel Ortega, with the final kick of the match, earned Argentina a deserved victory.
The significance of the match was that South Africa, arguably for the first time, did not appear intimidated when facing top-class South American or European opposition.
Remember Los Angeles in 1993, when Bafana Bafana barely got a kick at the ball against Mexico? Or Dusseldorf 1997, when Germany steamrollered our national team into the wet turf.
Troussier has long said that South African footballers are their own worst enemies; that they fear opponents who come from Europe or South America; that battles are lost almost before they begin.
He says Nigeria are different because they believe in their ability and that is why the “Super Eagles” are considered the country most likely to bring the World Cup to Africa.
Well, Bafana Bafana were certainly neither meek nor mild against Argentina, who used the same 11 they intend fielding in their opening World Cup match with Japan.
Bafana Bafana will continue their preparations for France 98 with a friendly match against a Bundersliga XI in Stuttgart. The composition of the German team is a mystery and Troussier will no doubt test some of the players he left on the bench in the games against Zambia and Argentina.
On the other side of the world last week, at Wembley Stadium in London, came another warning to France and Denmark that qualifying for the knockout second round could be tougher than originally thought.
The skilful Saudis fully deserved a 0-0 draw with an England team being touted as possible champions. Comfortable on the ball and well organised, here was a side transformed under Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Tony Adams may have been the defensive rock on which Arsenal built a league and cup double, yet he was cruelly exposed at times by the delightful skills of diminutive striker Samir al-Jabir.
The late May message to France and Denmark is that the gap is narrowing and stars like Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Youri Djorkaeff, Peter Schmeichel, Brian and Michael Laudrup are not going to have matters all their own way.