The hopes of the South African under-23 team of qualifying for the Olympics lie with Benedict Vilakazi, the diminutive midfielder pushed to be a striker.
The Amaglug-glug are in a dismal position. They went to Ghana a few months ago and were thumped 1-0. Then they thrashed Algeria 4-1, which put them back in the running for Athens. However, the Zambian under-23 team brought the South Africans back to Earth with a 1-0 defeat, once again almost dashing the youngsters’ dreams of Athens.
All’s not lost though. On Saturday the Amaglug-glug meet Zambia again and a win will put them back on track to qualify. A loss would render any hopes of qualification next to nothing.
Under-23 coach Kenneth ‘Conti†Kubheka says: ‘This is just like a cup final, it is a must-win game.â€
A win for the team would boost the confidence of the players to go on to win their next two games, ensuring qualification for the Olympics.
Kubheka says a draw will not be bad.
‘I do not see anything stopping us from winning. As far as I am concerned, this is the most important game. Presently we do not see Athens clearly, after the game against the Zambians we hope to see it clearly.â€
Defeat in Zambia would leave South Africa’s hopes in the hands of their competitors to at least provide them with a backdoor entrance to qualify for this prestigious tournament that comes once every four years.
Vilakazi, the captain of the South African squad, was sorely missed in the team’s first game against Zambia and is now expected to provide the much-needed motivation to propel the Amaglug-glug to victory.
Vilakazi’s recent strike form and his workmanlike approach to the game are expected to help turn around the team’s fortune. After returning from injury he has been scoring goals for his team, Orlando Pirates, and also providing goals for his teammates.
Kubheka says Vilakazi’s natural ability gives him a variety of means to penetrate the Zambian defence. He is also able to organise the team during play and to motivate his players.
Kubheka is confident of a win against the Zambians. After Zambia the Amaglug-glug will face Algeria, which Kubheka believes ‘have minimal chances of beating South Africaâ€. He says Ghana would be the team hardest to beat.
The sponsors of the under-23 team will need to pump in a lot of fuel to motivate the players to give of their best against Zambia. South Africa lies at the bottom of their group, with three points from three games. Algeria is leading with six points.
The winners of the group go on to represent Africa at the Olympics.