Andrew Muchineripi Soccer
The South African team that faces Gabon at Odi Stadium on Saturday in an African Nations Cup Group Four qualifier will bear little resemblance to the one that overcame Botswana last weekend. Only Orlando Pirates midfielders Thabo Mngomeni and John Moeti seem certain to start again, with defender Aaron Mokoena, midfielder Lovers Mohlala and striker Pollen Ndlanya having outside chances.
However, any debate over whether coach Trott Moloto wasted a golden opportunity to test the team to face Gabon seven days before the match is irrelevant, by the fact that most players would have been unavailable anyway.
Clubs in Europe are becoming increasingly militant over the release of national team players, especially when they consider the fixture “Mickey Mouse”, to quote former Leeds United manager George Graham.
Bafana Bafana captain Lucas Radebe played for Leeds at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night in an FA Cup fifth-round replay before flying to South Africa via Italy.
While Radebe is too much of a gentleman to say so, it is not the ideal preparation for a match Bafana Bafana must win to have a realistic chance of competing at the 2000 finals.
Only the lucky few can sleep normally on a jet and Radebe will, effectively, have 24 hours to prepare for the most important national fixture since the World Cup in France last June.
A home defeat would be calamitous while a draw would place Angola and Gabon in a strong position to claim the two qualifying places from a group that includes Mauritius.
Fortunately for Moloto and assistants April “Styles” Phumo and Deshi Bhaktawer, the rest of the nine-strong Foreign Legion arrived by Monday from various European countries.
Most are likely to start, with Hans Vonk set to regain the goal-keeping berth from Brian Baloyi, who was not at his best in Botswana, spilling several long-range shots.
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An injury has ruled out Pierre Issa so it will be Radebe, Mark Fish and fit-again Papi Khomane at the back with 18-year-old Mokoena covering from the bench. Mngomeni, Moeti and Fortune should occupy the central positions in a five-man midfielder leaving Steve Lekoelea and Joel Masilela (right) and Mohlala and Helman Mkhalele (left) to fight for the wingback roles.
Turkish-based Mkhalele can also operate on the right, but not with the same effectiveness and one is reminded of the words of legendary Jomo Sono, who believes players can serve their country best operating in their club position. Up front, Moloto must choose between Philemon Masinga and Ndlanya as a target man and Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy for the other position.
Place your coins and take your pick. I would go for Masinga and Bartlett. This will be the third away match for Gabon in the 2000 qualifying competition following a 2-0 victory over bantamweights Equatorial Guinea and a 3-1 loss to light-heavyweights Angola.
The Central Africans are unlikely to defend with the same depth as Angola did last October, when a late goal from Bartlett won the match and spared South African blushes.
That is the good news from a South African perspective. The bad news is that Gabon seem likely to pose a greater threat going forward than the one-man Angolan attack did.
Gabon arrived midweek with a mix of local and Moroccan-based players bolstered by several from the lower divisions of the French championship.
Perhaps the best known is Dieudonne Londo. He played for Raja Casablanca against Manning Rangers last year in the African Champions League and is an offensive midfielder who packs a powerful shot.
Captain Francois Amegasse also operates in midfielder. Although at thirty-something he is past his best, while striker Jonas Ogandaga played for Raja against Orlando Pirates last season.
Gabon are not good Nations Cup travellers judged by a Nations Cup qualifying record of four wins, five draws and 11 defeats, with the successes coming against minnows Benin, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritius and Niger.