Mark Fish boosts SA beach soccer
11 September 2006
More than 60 hopefuls took to Durban's South Beach at the weekend believing they had a chance to experience World Cup soccer, but by Saturday evening there were just 18 whose dream was still alive.
The 65 players were at South Beach for the official trials to select the South African team to take part in the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2006 qualifier in Durban later this month.
The South African team's Brazilian coach, Marcelo Mendez, had the tough task of finding the talented individuals to mould into a squad to seek qualification as one of Africa's two teams for the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup Finals taking place in Brazil later this year.
Fish and friends
Mendez's task was made slightly easier by the arrival of former Bafana Bafana and English Premiership player Mark Fish, who has also persuaded two not insignificant friends - Mark Williams the goalscoring hero of South Africa's victory in the 1996
African Nations Cup final, and Carlos Das Neves, the coach of Mvela Golden League team Vasco Da Gama and former Hellenic legend, to join him on the road to the Copacabana Beach in Rio in November.
The 18-man squad will start training together this week under the guidance of Mendez and four other Brazilian coaches who arrived at the weekend to prepare the SA team. They will also conduct an intensive series of coaching clinics for players, referees, coaches and other officials.
Before the 26 to 30 September qualifying tournament, the squad will be reduced to 12 players whose aim will be to finish in the first two at the Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup 2006 qualifier.
African participants
Six teams will take part in that tournament: South Africa, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and Egypt.
Aside from Fish, Williams, Das Neves and Johnson, the team is young and inexperienced, but Mendez was obviously pleasantly surprised at the
talent he has to work with over the next few weeks.
"The players were better than I expected," Mendez said after selecting the team. "We have a good side, I think. I am confident that these players will be able to finish in the first two at the qualifying tournament.
Aiming for Brazil
"I came here to take the South African team to Brazil, and it is not in my mind that we will not be at the finals later this year," Mendez said.
"The team still needs lots of technical and tactical training, but I think we can be a good team."
Mendez should know. In his homeland, he is known as the father of beach soccer and is credited with getting the sport off the ground. Now South Africa is hoping he can do the same for the Rainbow Nation.
The squad
Goalkeepers: Solomon Naidoo, Riaaz Conthiyoo and Siyabonga Mbatha.
Outfield players: Fani Shange, Lindani Zungu, Prince Gumede, Alric
Coles, Thando Mthembu, Siyabonga Ntetha, Lowell Kinsey, Siyabonga Dlamini, Bandile Lekena, Tanduxolo Tutani, Grant Bester, Mark Fish, Carlos Das Neves, Gary Johnson, Mark Williams.
For more information, visit Beach Soccer SA.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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