Jun 03 2010 02:38 PM
Re: 'Know Thy WCT" - FIFA World Soccer Ball Cup
South Africa - "Bafana Bafana"
The South African team is called Bafana Bafana. I don’t know what it means, but that’s a cool name. Their have been concerns across the soccer world that the venues might not be ready or up to World Cup standards, but with a week to go, it appears that all systems are go.
South Africa made the World Cup in 1998 (losing to eventual champion France, then drawing with Denmark and Saudi Arabia) and 2002 (beat Slovenia, lost to Spain, drew with Paraguay), but never got out of the first round.
As part of Group A with Mexico, Uruguay, and France (three teams ranked in the world top 17, per ESPN’s Soccer Power Index), little is expected of the home squad. That was especially true after the 2006 African Nations Cup, in which Bafana Bafana did not score s single goal. That led to the desire to hire a better coach, which led to Carlos Alberto Parreira. More on him later. In 2009 South Africa hosted the FIFA Confederations Cup, and finished in fourth place, beating New Zealand along the way.
Despite lowered expectations, the South Africans can hope that home cookin’ is to their advantage, as has been the case in recent World Cups. Since the US’s surprise run in 1994, each host country has made it out of the first round.
COACH
Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira leads his fifth different national team into the World Cup, following stints as the head man for Kuwait (1982), UAE (1990), Brazil (1994, 2006), and Saudi Arabia (1998). This equals Bora Milutinovic's record. He certainly hopes for results similar to 1994, when his Brazilians won, rather than 1998, when he was canned after two shutout losses. Once coached the MetroStars for a year.
Parreira on his team following Monday’s friendly 1-1 draw with Bulgaria: "This is the level that we will face at the World Cup. I doubt it will be higher than this. I was particularly impressed with the way we played in the first-half. This is a level of technique, organisation, possession, experience, set-pieces that we will face at the World Cup. We are imposing our style on the opponents and today it was very clear we are a team that can play our game against an experienced team. We faced a team that always had nine men behind the ball, but what I liked about our play is that we were never intimidated. It was not easy to penetrate, but I am happy with the situation because in games like this you are never going to create too many chances."
ROSTER
Best-known player (to the soccer world): Steven Pienaar, a midfielder who plies his trade for Everton. Expect the offense to run through him, as he can create and finish. His confidence is pretty high too. "I rate our chances of doing well in the tournament very high. In fact I am very confident that we will go further than the second round."
Best-known player you won’t see: Benni McCarthy. South Africa’s all-time scorer. Plays for West Ham, but his conditioning has been, uh, lacking a bit. So says South Africa trainer Francisco Gonzalez: “McCarthy's percentage body fat is high. And his physical state is inferior to the rest of his team. What's the point of having a player who isn't in a good physical condition and therefore useless to the coach?” and West Ham Chairman David Sullivan: “Benni McCarthy's body-fat measurement is 24.2 per cent. Mine is 25.4 per cent. Benni McCarthy is nearly as fat as me. I try to do aerobics in the morning but I'm 61 years old. He's the one West Ham player I want to go to the World Cup because he might come back fitter.” Ouch.
Best-known player (to non-soccer fan Americans): Matthew Booth, Defender. Big, tall, bald white guy…a bit of a trailblazer in that soccer is not normally considered a “white” sport in South Africa. Looks a bit like the lead singer of Midnight Oil, and has an impossibly hot wife, who is a model, athlete, and black. Big power couple in South Africa, recently featured in Sports Illustrated, hence why non-soccer fans may know him. Apparently, his play has dropped a bit, and he’s not a favorite of Pereira. Might not see a lot of action (at least on the pitch; I hope he’s seeing some at home).
Full Squad:
Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Shu-Aib Walters (Maritzburg United)
Defenders: Matthew Booth (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo (Supersport United), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth), Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Lucas Thwala (Orlando Pirates)
Midfielders: Lance Davids (Ajax Cape Town), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows), Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs), Teko Modise (Orlando Pirates), Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan)
Forwards: Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvete (Moroka Swallows), Bernard Parker (FC Twente)
SO WHAT HAPPENS?
Best –case scenario: Bafana Bafana takes advantage of the home crowd and maybe gets Mexico napping; karma catches up to France in their matchup and the South Africans sneak into the second round.
Worst-case: Like Parreira’s other non-Brazil WC teams, they struggle early, get tight, and don’t benefit from friendly officials and fans. It’ll be three and out.
