Sport

World Cup home stretch for Bafana

Brad Morgan

21 April 2010

With 50 days remaining until the start of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, Bafana Bafana have only four more internationals scheduled to iron out kinks and find the combinations that South Africa is hoping will bring them success on football's biggest stage at home.

South Africa's national squad has been in Germany for a week so far, preparing for the World Cup. The focus during the first week was on high-intensity training. Week two will be devoted to technique and tactics and a match against North Korea.

The Koreans will be in South Africa at the World Cup, having qualified for it for only the second time. Previously, they contested the 1966 World Cup in England, where they made some big waves.

They reached the quarterfinals with a shocking 1-0 win over Italy. Then, in the last eight, they led 3-0 against the Eusebio-inspired Portuguese before finally succumbing 5-3.

Relief

With air traffic around Europe grounded as a result of the ash spread by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, it has been difficult for people to move about, so the arranging of the game against the North Koreans came as a big relief to Bafana Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane.

"It has been difficult trying to get practice matches," Nkumane told Safa.net on Tuesday, "but now we are elated that we managed to secure DPR Korea. The coach has been looking for quality and competitive opponents; that is why we had to cancel the match against Nuremburg II.

"Another team, SPVGG Greuther Furth, was going to send their second stream team to play us because their first is rounding off their second division league season," Nkumane said.

Estonia

"The current volcanic ash crisis has not helped either, with Estonia being grounded, and [they] had to withdraw from the match that was scheduled to take place on Saturday, 24 April.

"They are still keen to come though if the skies clear up and they still make it to Germany," Nkumane added.

Of all the teams that have qualified for South Africa, the North Koreans are probably the one about which the least is known. Many expect little more to be learnt about them during the World Cup because they're in an exceptionally tough group that also includes the Ivory Coast, Portugal, and Brazil. Three and done, most believe.

However, any team that qualifies for the World Cup deserves respect, even though the Koreans are ranked only 105th in the world, 17 places below South Africa's less than impressive 88th.

Rankings

According to the Fifa world rankings, the Koreans are the first of increasingly testing opponents for Bafana Bafana in the lead-up to the opening match of the World Cup in Johannesburg on 11 June against Mexico.

Following the clash with North Korea is a meeting with China, ranked 84th by Fifa, also in Frankfurt, on 28 April. Then, almost a month later, on 27 May, South Africa faces Colombia, 39th in the rankings, in Johannesburg.

That match will be followed by a showdown with fellow World Cup final qualifiers Denmark, ranked 34th, in Johannesburg on 5 June, less than a week before the kick-off of football's biggest spectacle.

'Things are looking good for us'

Midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala, chatting to Safa.net on Monday, said: "We are improving slowly and so far so good because we are playing as a unit, and the shape is there, so things are looking good for us.

"Everyone in the team is aware the World Cup is around the corner and the expectations are high from the public, so we need to deliver as a collective."

Midfielder Andile Jali compared the camp in Germany with a camp in Brazil, which preceded the trip to Germany. "In Brazil we worked very hard," Jali said, "but our performance was a bit low because it was our first real camp.

Improved performances

"Here in Germany we have put in even more work and this has increased our performance tremendously. And I believe the upcoming matches will go a long way in helping us improve more.

"We saw what we can do in Brazil during the games, now we need to better that achievement," Jali added.

In Brazil, Bafana Bafana won five matches, drew three and lost only their last game against Santos. Their results included a 1-1 draw with fellow World Cup finalists Paraguay.