Few chances as Japan hold WCup hosts S.Africa

November 14, 2009

World Cup hosts South Africa and fellow 2010 qualifiers Japan drew 0-0 in Port Elizabeth on Saturday after a friendly of few scoring chances.

New Brazil-born coach Carlos Alberto Parreira expressed satisfaction that a run of eight South African losses in nine games had ended, but admitted there was considerable room for improvement when it comes to penetration.

“This was a difficult match because Japan came here having scored a lot of goals recently and I’m satisfied with our performance while accepting that we will have to do much better.

“Japan marked very well and that is why Benni McCarthy never got a clearcut chance, but for my first match back in charge it was okay,” said the coach who quit last year to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro.

It was also a new start for striker McCarthy, axed by Brazilian coach Joel Santana after shunning a friendlies call-up, but his Japanese ‘minders’ ensured there would be no dream comeback goals after eight months in the wilderness.

The ‘Blue Samurai’ came closest to scoring through Makoto Hasebe and Shinji Okazaki in the first international staged at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, one of 10 venues where the first World Cup in Africa will be staged.

Man-of-the match and South Africa goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs foiled Hasebe from German champions Wolfsburg by tipping a fierce early drive over the bar before a near-capacity crowd.

Okazaki, hat-trick hero when Japan crushed Togo 5-0 at home last month, then beat Josephs from an acute angle only to see his shot trickle wide millimetres beyond the far post.

Tight marking by Japan, who will represent Asia in South Africa next year with Australia, North Korea and South Korea, meant Bafana Bafana (The Boys) rarely got within range to test goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

And when the Kawashi Frontale custodian was called into action, he showed his prowess by getting down quickly and parrying a Siphiwe Tshabalala ‘rocket’ away for a corner.

Katlego Mphela, the only South African to score since a fourth-place finish at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, had a chance as half-time loomed but fired wide.

The second half was even tighter with defences on top until 11 minutes from the final whistle when Josephs once again foiled Okazaki and that proved the final chance to end the stalemate.

South Africa complete their friendly schedule for this year against non-World Cup qualifiers Jamaica on Tuesday at Vodacom Stadium in the central city of Bloemfontein.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

Tags: acute angle, benni mccarthy, blue samurai, capacity crowd, Carlos Alberto Parreira, far post, friendlies, german champions, hat trick hero, ill wife, katlego mphela, kawashi, mandela bay, millimetres, minders, nelson mandela, new brazil, north korea and south korea, okazaki

SAfrica can reach WCup quarter-finals, says Parreira

November 6, 2009

New coach Carlos Alberto Parreira says struggling 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa can defy the odds and reach the quarter-finals.

“The greatest challenge is getting to the second phase. South Africa must work hard but I’m confident we will get there,” he told Brazilian television ahead of a second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana (The Boys).

“I hope that with the backing of home fans we will reach the quarter-finals and after that the sky is the limit,” said the 66-year-old, who guided Brazil to the 1994 World Cup title.

“The World Cup is kill, kill, kill, and it is not always the best teams that reach the final. It is different from a championship and I think we could have a very competitive team.”

Brave words from a man inheriting a national team ranked 85 in the world by FIFA and demoralised after eight losses in nine matches with the sole success coming at home against African lightweights Madagascar.

The defeats were inflicted by Spain (twice), Brazil and Serbia at home and away to Germany, Republic of Ireland, Norway and Iceland and cost another Brazilian, Joel Santana, his 200,000-dollar-a-month coaching post.

Parreira ended his first spell as a moderately successful coach of South Africa in mid-2008 to be with his ill wife in Rio de Janeiro and reportedly recommended Santana to take over despite no national team experience.

Toward the end of his reign Santana axed striker Benni McCarthy from English Premiership club Blackburn Rovers after he shunned a call-up for friendlies against Norway and Portugal.

Parreira has decided to give McCarthy, scorer of a record 31 goals for Bafana Bafana since his 1997 debut, another chance by naming him in a 24-man squad for home friendlies against Japan and Jamaica this month.

“I think Benni is the best South African striker and if he is willing to play, make sacrifices and commit himself to the team, he deserves an opportunity,” insisted Parreira.

South Africa, who qualified for the World Cup in 1998 and 2002 without progressing beyond the first round, hope to stage training camps at home and in Brazil and Germany before the June 11 to July 11 tournament.

“Training in Brazil will be a valuable experience, but we need an agreement with the coaches of the players’ clubs because the planned dates are not on the FIFA calendar and the teams are not obliged to release them.

“For the camps to be successful we need at least 70 percent of the main team present,” warned the Brazilian who also coached Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia at World Cup finals.

South Africa complete their 2009 friendly schedule with fixtures against Japan on November 14 in Port Elizabeth and Jamaica three days later in Bloemfontein.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)