Missing players and dismal results have marred South Africa’s preparations for Mali Ntuthuko Maphumulo Bafana Bafana’s preparations for the African Cup of Nations that starts next week have not gone well. The South African national team have been dismal in their preparation games for Mali so far, with two draws against minnows Mozambique and Botswana and a loss to Swaziland. Their game against Zimbabwe was cancelled after coach Carlos Queiroz reportedly said Bafana’s preparations would be hindered if they had to play the game in Zimbabwe. However, the match against two-time Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) Cup champions Angola on Tuesday will go ahead, probably in Mmabatho, where Bafana are in camp. Angola failed to qualify for Mali.
Queiroz has had to begin training without the full squad of 22 as some other players have delayed arriving in South Africa. National team manager Stanley “Screamer” Tshabalala said: “The training is going well, but the coach would have liked to have all the players available.” Queiroz now has one week only to train a squad that is expected by its supporters to at least make it to the semifinals. There have been a number of controversies over player selections and also some players opting to play for their clubs and not the national team. Star striker and captain Shaun Bartlett who has been warming the bench at English premier league club Charlton opted to remain in Britain and fight for his place until the South African Football Association (Safa) told him it would invoke world football regulations that bar an eligible player from representing his club during international tournaments. Goalkeeper Hans Vonk had also opted to stay in Europe, but was ordered immediately to make himself available for the African Cup of Nations. As a result, Sundowns keeper John Tlale was omitted from the squad 24 hours after being called up as cover for Vonk and Sundowns’ games were unnecessarily postponed. Hopefully, Safa’s delay in putting its foot down and insisting European clubs release players will not hinder the performance of the squad in Mali. Also worrying for Bafana supporters is the selection of players like Thabo Mngomeni who has not played a competitive match since his suspension in September and Jabu Pule who decided to shoot himself in the foot by absconding from the training camps. Bennedict Vilakazi is on standby despite having a great season and scoring vital goals for Pirates. Queiroz’s decision to include players who are bench-warmers in their European teams shows he is willing to stand by players he sees as having the potential to do well in the tournament, but raises several concerns. The policy of selecting in-form players no longer exists. It has been replaced by a conservatism, where the coach sticks with known and thus “safe” choices like Mngomeni and Eric Tinkler rather than being bold and daring and introducing youngsters like Vilakazi. The arrival of Bartlett and fellow striker Siyabonga Nomvete could help the coach in the final warm-up match against Angola and also the first game in the African nations cup. Queiroz’s task in Mali is to win the cup or at least get a medal. Since Bafana won the tournament on home soil in 1996 they have been in decline. In 1998 they came second and in 2000 third: any further step backwards would prove that soccer in South Africa is stagnant. The players that can make an impact in the Angola friendly should also start the first game in Mali with the coach playing a 4-4-2 formation. A suggested starting XI would be: Goalkeeper, Andre Arendse. Defenders: Mbulelo ‘Old John” Mabizela, despite his inexperience; Jacob Lekgetho, who has cemented his place during the qualifiers and has been consistent for his club; Pierre Issa and Frank Schoeman. Central midfield: Tinkler, for his ball winning and hard tackling; Dillon Sheppard, ahead of Quinton Fortune. Wings: Delron Buckley, for his great crosses; Sibusiso Zuma, arguably the best player in the team. Strikers: Bartlett (captain), for his experience and knack of being in the right place at the right time to score goals; Siyabonga Nomvete, known as the African Jewel in Italy, who is a craftsman and has great predatory instincts. We will sorely miss Vilakazi and, to a lesser extent, Pule.