Andrew MuchineripiSoccer
The African Cup of Nations quarter-finals showdown between South Africa and Ghana in Kumasi on Sunday brings together teams that can only improve after disastrous endings to their mini-league programmes.
I have never been more ashamed of wearing Bafana Bafana colours than in midweek, when even a first-minute goal from Shaun Bartlett could not trigger some emotion from the lethargic pride of our nation.
Well, they are supposed to be the pride of the nation. The chosen few granted an opportunity that most footballers only dream of. To put on the rainbow colours and fight for 40-million people.
Non-aggression pacts belong to nuclear powers, not football pitches, and I trust the rubbish served up in the 1-1 draw with Algeria will not be presented to us again. Ever.
I have witnessed good Bafana Bafana displays and bad Bafana Bafana displays. I have never before witnessed a Bafana Bafana display so lacking in drive and a desire to succeed.
Perhaps the only consolation was that we did not lose, which is what happened to four-time champions Ghana against Cte d’Ivoire 48 hours earlier at the National Stadium in Accra.
The Ivorians triumphed 2-0 and one more goal would have taken them through at the expense of a side that brought shame to the once-mighty football nation that gave Africa the legendary Abedi “Pele” Ayew.
South Africa and Ghana have squads littered with big-name players and there is no reason why they cannot reverse the trend of mediocrity that has gripped the African football showcase and is threatening to strangle it.
Never before has the Nations Cup commanded such a huge, worldwide television audience, presenting a continent desperately in need of sponsorship with an ideal shop window.
What viewers have seen, however, is largely soiled goods, with gifted African footballers showing all the imagination of robots whose batteries have gone flat and coaches presumably happy with what is passing for football.
Where are the tricks that African Footballer of the Year Nwankwo Kanu spoke about in a pre-tournament interview? Where are the quality crosses, the rasping shots, the skills that set our footballers apart?
There have hardly been any shock results either to pull the tournament back from the abyss – although Burkina Faso did shake defending champions Egypt with two early goals before losing 4-2 in the Nigerian city of Kano.
I suspect there is too much at stake for Ghana and South Africa to reverse the horrifying move to sterility, to bring back the flair and the passion, to excite mainly poor people who view football as an escape from grim existences.
We dare not dismiss Ghana because they have been almost too bad to be true in Accra and, while the move to Kumasi may be disruptive, they are going to play in a city where support for the Black Stars is strongest.
So Bafana Bafana must take on 11 Ghanaians plus another 50E000 crammed into the Asokwa Stadium, whose emptiness during Group B matches is easily explained. In a land where money is scarce, you do not waste it on garbage.
Coach Trott Moloto, assistant April “Styles” Phumo and their technical team have a lot of serious soul-searching to do and it does not only revolve around whether “has been” John “Shoes” Moshoeu should return to midfield.
Were I unlucky enough to replace Moloto tomorrow, Mark Fish would be the first to go, and Helman Mkhalele, Dumisa Ngobe and Quinton Fortune would have to do serious “selling” jobs for me to retain them.
Fish, the footballer who once spurned a chance to join Manchester United, has lost the plot. Completely. He is not an international-class defender and he no longer poses the slightest threat going forward. He must go. Now!
The casual manner in which he tried to halt Algerian scorer Faouzi Moussouni smacked of disinterest and Bra Trott has to throw sentiment to the wind and bring in Papi Khomane.
I seriously wonder whether the mind of Fortune is at Old Trafford or in hot and humid Kumasi, and the sooner he lets his coach know the better for South Africa.
Ngobe continues to look overweight (and if he does not lose kilograms in the Kumasi sweatbox, where will he?) and unable to stamp any authority on the middle of the pitch.
An oft-repeated comment by this humble member of the Muchineripi clan is that the attacking benefits of Mkhalele have to be carefully weighed against his defensive frailties.
There has been no improvement from the Midnight Express or the Big Feeesh, so why keep them? It would be comforting if Trott buried his pride and reverted to a four- man defence of Khomane, Pierre Issa, Lucas Radebe and Frank Schoeman.
Let Steve Lekoelea start on the right wing and Isaac Shai on the left with the limited but hard-working Eric Tinkler, Thabo Mngomeni and Alex Bapela inside. And let Shaun Bartlett and Siyabonga Nomvete renew their attacking partnership.
I am too old to dismiss anything in life, especially in football, and if Bafana Bafana can lift their game to the level we know they are capable of playing at, all is not lost.
Good luck, boys!