Andrew Muchineripi
Bafana Bafana kick off their campaign for the 2002 World Cup against minnows Lesotho
There is no reason why South Africa should not get off to a winning start against Lesotho on Sunday in their quest for a second consecutive appearance at the World Cup finals.
Bafana Bafana are, man for man, a much better equipped squad with more skilful and experienced players, despite the absence of several key figures, notably captain Lucas Radebe.
Striker Shaun Bartlett will wear the armband, and no one is more worthy of the honour than the likeable Capetonian, whose five goals made him the leading scorer at the recent African Nations Cup.
My sole quarrel with the new Bafana Bafana skipper is that he has, if media reports are true, fallen into the same old trap of making politically correct comments that fool no one.
Why must we be cautious of Lesotho? Why must we treat them with respect?
It is Lesotho who must be cautious of Bafana Bafana. It is Lesotho who must treat Bafana Bafana with respect.
Nothing is certain in life – and football is a wonderful part of our lives in this land of sharply chiselled beauty – but if we cannot return from Maseru with a victory something is radically wrong within our game.
While Bafana Bafana players can realistically dream of Seoul and Tokyo, facing Bafana Bafana is the equivalent of playing in the World Cup final for the Crocodiles from the tiny mountain kingdom.
And there lies the one area of concern. While Bafana Bafana are expected to win, with most South Africans this week debating the victory margin rather than the result, Lesotho are under considerably less pressure.
But please do not tell me that the home team are under no pressure, because that is a lie. Name me one footballer who wants to be tormented; name me one team that wants to be humiliated.
Given the status of football in the cultures of most who inhabit Mother Africa, it would come as no surprise if the young king and his wife honoured the occasion with their presence at Sethsoto Stadium.
That is all the more reason, then, for Lesotho to perform like men inspired. And all the more reason why the lucky 11 chosen to represent Bafana Bafana must also perform like men inspired.
It is common knowledge that when two equally motivated teams collide, skill becomes the crucial element, and our footballers are blessed with far more of that than their opponents.
Which is hardly surprising, given that many play in Europe, the ultimate stage for any footballer at club level, and those who do not, feature in one of the most competitive leagues on the continent.
Which brings me to the most interesting part of the build-up for any Bafana match – who is coach Trott Moloto going to choose, given that many regulars are missing for a variety of reasons?
It is a straight fight between John Tlale of Sundowns and Brian Baloyi of Kaizer Chiefs for the goalkeeping position. My vote goes to Tlale, who has excelled on the rare occasions he got the nod.
Pin-up Baloyi has not progressed as quickly as many of us expected and while there is no better shot- stopper in the Premier Soccer League, he remains weak when dealing with David Beckham-like crosses.
Assuming Moloto is going to stick with a 3-5-2 formation, which is wrong in my humble opinion, because we lack international-class wing-backs, I have to go for Pierre Issa of Marseille as sweeper.
That leaves Frank Schoeman of Sundowns, Hilton Jordaan of Jomo Cosmos, Cyril Nzama of Bush Bucks and David Kannemeyer of Ajax Cape Town vying for the two positions of man-markers.
My money is on Schoeman and Jordaan, because the other two are conventional full-backs and it does not make sense to blood them in a potentially volatile situation.
Bartlett of FC Zurich and Siya-bonga Nomvete of Kaizer Chiefs are the obvious choices up front. I do not understand why Delron Buckley was included among the strikers, because he is a left-sided midfielder.
And so to the perennial problem area in Bafana Bafana teams, namely midfield. Thabo Mngomeni of Orlando Pirates is the obvious playmaker now that John “Shoes” Moshoeu has been dropped (oops, sorry Trott, rested).
The coach must then pick two from Arthur Zwane, Jabu Pule, Godfrey Sapula and Dumisa Ngobe for the right side and two from Isaac Shai, Joseph Ngake and Bradley Carnell for the left.
While the left looks strong as Carnell and Shai are genuine wing-backs, I foresee problems on the other side, although they should not be result-threatening given that the opposition is Lesotho.