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South Africa
South Africa's preparations for the World Cup were rocked by a weak showing in the African Cup of Nations and the firing of manager Carlos Queiroz just three months before the finals. The sacking was a surprise considering how easily the team qualified for the World Cup, winning five of six final-phase games. New boss Jomo Sono has stepped in looking to boost team morale and design a successful gameplan.
In the last 10 years, the country has emerged as a
strong power on the African continent and has already enjoyed time as the top-rated African nation on the FIFA world rankings. Their mission now is to recover that kind of form.
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto takes a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN International.
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South Africa learned a lot from its first World Cup appearance in 1998, and should do better this time around. It has a solid defense that let in only three goals in a total of eight qualifiers, a hardworking midfield and a speedy front line.
At the back, Leeds United defender Lucas Radebe should regain his starting position after recovering from injury. He is the team's most experienced player, having captained the side for several years. In the middle of the park, Dumisa Ngobe will have the responsibility of running the show. He does have two star wingers to help him out: Quinton Fortune and Sibussio Zuma, who will cause all sorts of problems for opposing defenses. Up front, Benni McCarthy has rediscovered his goal-scoring form and is expected to lead the way with Siyabonga Nomvete by his side.
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Benni McCarthy. Forgotten on the Celta Vigo bench, he moved to FC Porto on loan. That move not only helped him find his "goalden" touch, but it also revived his international career. Twelve goals in 11 matches for the Portuguese giants have put him back on the map. He is the only player to have scored a hat trick for South Africa and although he may not repeat that feat in the finals, he will be a constant threat up front. He has good touch and positions himself perfectly around the box.
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Competitive rhythm. The nation's top players may be spread around some of the best clubs in Europe, but few get a chance to play regularly. Fortune sits on the Manchester United bench, Nomvete has failed to flourish at Udinese, Radebe was out injured for most of the season, etc. The fact that many of the nation's stars did not get many minutes over the past season could come back to haunt this team, since they could lack the awareness and sharpness needed to succeed at this level. Shaun Bartlett, who had a mixed season for Charlton, is out due to injury.
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Coaching. Was the coaching chance a good or bad one? Carlos Queiroz may have seen his team struggle at the African Cup of Nations, but he had a gameplan that players were getting used to. Somo has changed that plan and it still remains to be seen whether the players have assimilated to it. Every change brings with it good and bad things, but anytime you get a new leader three months before a big event, you are taking a lot of risks.
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South Africa finished first in Africa's final Group E. It won five and drew one of its six matches. It only played six matches because Guinea was banned from the competition by FIFA. It scored 10 goals and conceded three.
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The nation is appearing in its second World Cup. Its first appearance in the finals was in '98, drawing two and losing one of its three games, failing to advance past the group phase.
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South Africa has a talented group of players, but the fact that many of them fail to play regularly at their clubs could hurt the team's rhythm in the finals. Speed up front should guarantee a few goals; the question is whether the back line can remain as solid as it was during the qualifying games. In my view, this team is a long shot to make it into the second round because it has undergone too many recent changes.
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