Between now and the opening ceremony, I'll be taking a look at the nations participating in this year's World Cup, an event which is slowly consuming me with excitement. Share my pain! We'll start with Group A, and the host nation, South Africa. It's never easy being the hosts. As well as all the off-field logistical distractions, the pressure from the home fans is naturally overwhelming. The unlikely statistic that hangs over the heads of the Bafana Bafana is one that'll be wheeled out innumerable times over the coming months, but it's worth repeating: no host nation has ever failed to progress into the knockout stages. It's a remarkable quirk in a sport that is becoming more precise and scientific as the years pass, and the conventional wisdom is that 'the host streak' will be ended this year.
I don't doubt it, but in the Coca-Cola sponsored spirit of optimism, there might be more to South Africa than meets the eye...
How did they get there?
Pretty easily, because being the hosts, they were handed a spot. This is handy, because in truth the current group of players probably wouldn't have made it through an African section which was one of the most competitive, with the possible exception of South America. When you look at some of the teams who didn't qualify, including the African champions Egypt, as well as strong teams from Mali and Gabon, you get an idea of how far African football has progressed in a relatively short space of time. But that's another story, and for the purposes of this preview, South Africa are in, and that's all you need to know (as Barry the Baptist once said).
Who's the coach?
The fact that South Africa didn't have to endure the qualification process means that they had ample time to concentrate on that other great preserve of football teams- a spot of good old-fashioned infighting. Having enjoyed a Confederations Cup campaign which went above and beyond everyone's wildest expectations, the highs soon turned into crushing lows, as they slumped to 8 defeats in their next 9 games, and 90th place in the FIFA rankings. This led to the sacking of Joel Santana, which as well as causing the normal disruption to preparations, denied the tournament the pleasure of arguably the greatest English interviews ever to grace the game.
But having removed a Brazilian, they opted not to go with one of their own (as many commentators expected), but to return to the man who arguably has more World Cup experience than any other active coach, the great Carlos Alberto Parreira. Best known for his two stints in charge of Brazil (the victorious 1994 and ignominious 2006 tournaments), he has also managed Kuwait (1982), the UAE (1990) and Saudi Arabia (1998). It is to the latter three that we should be looking to gauge our expectations- none of them won a single game, and were thoroughly unremarkable in their defensiveness. Despite his less than brilliant recent record, the name Parreira should still inspire a certain level of confidence, but naturally much will depend on the performances of his star players.
Ones to watch:
Steven Pienaar and Benni McCarthy are familiar names to Premier League viewers, and it appears that both will be in the squad, despite playing no part in the friendlies which have preceded the tournament. This is a fact of life for the smaller footballing nations, and Parreira has accepted it, saying that 'the most important thing is to identify a group of players from the local squad, and when the overseas-based players are available, blend the two groups together.
Whilst Pienaar is certain to start, McCarthy's fate is still somewhat unclear. Out of favour for the last couple of seasons, he played no part in the Confederations Cup, and the outcome of that tournament suggests that South Africa can perhaps do without their most successful player. However, subsequent games have undermined this belief, as they were characterised by a chronic lack of goals, including a 0-0 draw against North Korea. At home. Parreira has described McCarthy as the best finisher in South Africa, and has stated that 'we cannot ignore him.'
How will they do?
Pienaar and McCarthy aside, the rest of the squad consists of players plying their trade in Europe's lower leagues, or on the domestic scene. The recent 2-0 win over Jamaica (using an entirely home-based squad) has provided some cause for optimism, but it's still difficult to see South Africa avoiding that dreaded tag of the first hosts to fall at the first hurdle. Stranger things have happened, but not in this preview they haven't.
My prediction: Eliminated in the group stage.
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