Vuvuzela South Africa

Well Maradona’s boys are on their way to South Africa. To the delight of this football crazy nation, the two time World cup winners (1978 and 1986) managed to pull off a 1 – 0 score. A solitary goal from Mario Bolatti gave them victory over their worthy opponents  at the Estadio Centenario, Montevideo in Uruguay last night in front of a very disappointed home crowd. This win buys  Argentina a ticket to 2010 World Cup South Africa along with their emotional coach, Diego Maradona.

Can’t Imagine a World Cup Without Argentina

One could not imagine a World Cup without the Argentine team and not to be able to see players the likes of Lionel Messi, Martin Palermo and practically a whole team of superstars.

Both Argentina and Uruguay went into the match knowing that winner of the match will automatically qualify for next year’s World Cup Finals.

Missing Out on a World Cup Place

Argentina was facing a threat of missing out on a World Cup place for the fist time in 40 years, while Uruguay was desperate to ensure their World Cup berth this time because the two-time World Cup champions failed to qualify for the last world cup in 2006.

Maradona’s boys have now qualified directly for the 2010 World Cup as one of the top four teams of this region.

Coach Diego Maradona dedicated his win to “all Argentinians, except the journalists,” and he also wished the Uruguay team good luck in the playoffs and said he hoped they managed to qualify.

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Opinion piece

Saw a cool headline today “Keep the Coach, Fire the Spineless SAFA Board” – well that is perhaps a bit over the top, but didn’t the new President Kirsten Nematendani come flying out of the starting blocks, promising to take this soccer crisis in hand?

Kirsten Nematandani SAFA President

Nematandani, who was elected unopposed last month after Danny Jordaan and Irvin Khoza pulled out of the South African Football Association election race ( that’s another story), immediately vowed to take a serious look at Bafana Coach Joel Santana’s performances during his 16-month rein.

“I simply cannot fire the coach after being in office only two hours,” he is quoted by SAPA as having said after winning the presidential race. “But I will make an informed decision once I have all the facts.

What does Kirsten Nematandani do?  He passes the buck er ball and appoints a panel of Clive Barker, Jomo Sono and Gavin Hunt, to assess Santana’s performance. Then we hear reports from Norway, that Santana will allow nobody near his team and that the assessors are to be spectators, just like us fans.

Rumours and Stories – Is Parreira coming back from Brazil?

Well, this tour was sad. Bafana Bafana lost in Oslo and also in Reykjavik and just as the fans are baying for blood, we read in the Sowetan that an unnamed Safa official says that Parreira is coming back from Brazil – his sick wife has recovered (praise the Lord) and he is willing to return to South Africa to perform a miracle on the South African National Football Team – at round R1, 8 a month and only if he is the ONLY coach.

So is he really willing to boot his bra ( Santana, who he gave to use when he had to leave so suddenly) into touch (to use a rugby metaphor) and shine up Banafa Bafana in six months? – but hey this is all unofficial/ off the record/ deniable… Comrade Mo territory.

The official word from SAFA is…  not true!

In fact, yesterday SAFA slammed the media for “misleading the public”

Nematandani Gives Santana Two More Matches

Kirsten Nematandani said Santana would be given two more matches to sort out his problems with the national squad. He denies having ever spoken to Parreira and declares that his agreement has always been that Santana would be assessed over three friendly matches. (Pity he did not communicate it that clearly to the public)

Friendlies against Japan and Jamaica in November

These games include last night’s match, to be followed by a friendly on November 14 against Japan, at Orlando stadium, and another one three days later, in Bloemfontein, against Jamaica.

We should have Won Against Iceland and Madagascar

The fact is that Santana has led the national team to just one win in nine matches, which has prompted the nation’s media to campaign for the coach’s dismissal.

Let us just take a reality check before we throw the coach under the bus. The fact that South Africa is currently ranked 73rd in the world- Bafana Bafana played Germany(4) Ireland (38), Norway (43) – so we were punching well beyond our reach. But we should have hammered Iceland and Madagascar.

One hopes that new SAFA President Kirsten Nematendani and his board know what they are doing – they could just be taking Bafana Bafana down a dangerous road. If they sack Santana next month, the new coach will have around six months to prepare the side for the 2010 World Cup.

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“Bafana threw everything forward near the end but the defence of Iceland, a country that would fit into Soweto and with just 350 000 people, held firm.”

Bafana Bafana Team Showed Some Improvement

On Tuesday night the 2010 World Cup hosts suffered a 1-0 defeat to Iceland at Laugardalsvollur.

Although the Bafana Bafana team showed glimpses of improvement throughout the match; they started off well, attacking and passing the ball with intent.

Changed Starting Line-Up

Santana bowed to pressure and named a much changed line-up to the side who lost in Norway with Franklyn Cale, Sthembiso Ngcobo, Richard Henyekane and Siyabonga Sangweni all getting starts. Iceland, who are ranked a lowly 96th in the world, scored in the 50th minute through Veigar Pall Gunnarsson.

Henyekane and Modise More Lively

Richard Henyekane and Teko Modise were certainly livelier last night and  created some problems for Iceland’s defence.

Moeneeb Josephs played a great game until five minutes after half time when Gunnarsson bent a shot with the outside of his foot on the edge of the box after Mokoena failed to clear properly and goalkeeper Josephs got caught going the wrong way.

Six Changes in the Second Half

A desperate Joel Santana made six changes in the second half, but Bafana’s  left their shooting boots at home, with Teko Modise missing two good chances in the second half

I like this quote from kickoff.com: “Bafana threw everything forward near the end but the defence of Iceland, a country that would fit into Soweto and with just 350 000 people, held firm.”

Speculation over Santana’s Fate Continues

Bafana Bafana’s 1-0 loss to Iceland follows their 1-0 loss to Norway on Saturday and means that speculation over an imminent chop for coach Joel Santana will continue, even though Safa made their voice heard before the match to try and put a lid on the the growing discussion over a possible sacking and the replacements for coach Joel Santana.

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It is with a heavy heart that I am attempting to write this South Africa vs Iceland Preview. Bafana Bafana has lost seven times in a row, and without sounding negative (ok, I am sounding negative), I do not have much hope for today’s match, even though Iceland is ranked 96.

Not Only Joel Santana

It is not just the much-vilified coach Joel Santana; it is the Bafana Bafana team as well. I watch those boys playing PSL matches and then I see them on the pitch in their Bafana colors and it is as if zombies have invaded their bodies – they are totally different players.

South Africa suffered their seventh defeat in eight games against Norway on Saturday and never looked like troubling the European side’s goal.

As a matter of fact, just over four years ago South Africa lost 4-1 to Iceland in an international friendly but just one member of that Bafana Bafana starting line-up is set to feature on Tuesday night- the  Captain Aaron Mokoena.

Bafana Bafana Team

The 2010 hosts were underwhelming in Saturday’s clash with Norway and most worryingly of all, didn’t look like improving on their woeful scoring record. The strike force on Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker were isolated up front and Teko Modise again failed to prompt any meaningful forays into the final third say football 365.com

But with Steven Pienaar ruled out with a knee injury, Santana’s attacking options in midfield are limited to Elrio van Heerden, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Modise and Franklyn Cale, who made his debut on the weekend.

It is a similar story with the forward line as although Richard Henyekane offers pace, he and Mabhuti Khenyeza and Sthembiso Ngcobo lack the international wherewithal to trouble international class backlines.

Iceland – Seasoned International Players

Iceland on the other hand, although not well ranked, has a line-up of seasoned internationals who might just teach Bafana Bafana a lesson or two. I guess the best we can hope for is a draw – the same result South Africa achieved against Iceland way back in 1998.

Emile Baron or Moeneeb Josephs

Meanwhile goalkeeper Emile Baron has been declared fit to play against Iceland. This comes after he picked up a minor finger injury at training on Friday, so will Santana use him or the in form Moeneeb Josephs who saves the team from a certain humiliation with his sharp stopping on Saturday?

South Africa take on Iceland this evening (Tuesday) at the Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Kick off is at 20h10 South African time.

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Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba and the Cote d’Ivoire team believe that Africa is on the verge of hosting an iconic World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

The Chelsea hitman rose from the bench and took just two minutes to score the equalizer in Malawi that has booked Côte d’Ivoire’s place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Jacob Ngwira gave the Flames a 64th-minute lead in their African Zone, Group E qualifier, prompting visiting coach Vahid Halilhodžić to throw on the Chelsea striker.

Drogba Scored a Goal on 67 Minutes

Drogba’s vindicated that substitution almost immediately and his 67th-minute goal earned the Ivorians the point they needed to seal qualification. The result took Côte d’Ivoire on to 13 points, an unassailable seven points clear of second-placed Burkina Faso.

“It is going to be a challenge. To make it to the final will not be easy because there are great teams like Brazil and Germany who have won the World Cup for many years,” he said after the Elephants qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup following a 1-1 draw with Malawi.” He said on football 365.com

SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani Encouraged Ivory Coast

Meanwhile, SAFA president Kirsten Nematandani encouraged Ivory Coast to excel at the World Cup next year.
“Today is a good day to be an African. This World Cup has been dubbed an African one. What that means is that this World Cup (trophy) has to remain in Africa and that cannot happen without your commitment. We want you to commit to working very hard. You have already qualified and all that remains now is the final touches,” said Nematandani.

Côte d’Ivoire is Positioned First in Africa

Côte d’Ivoire, who is positioned first in Africa and 20th overall on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, finished third in a very tough Group C at Germany 2006.

Illustration: Didier Drogba of Cote de Ivoire  by Charis Tsevis

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