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Scouting
Report
Style of play: One thing South Africa will never
be accused of is being stylish. Quite the contrary.
Coach Jomo Sono's squad is uninspired and unimaginative
in attack, with little creativity in midfield. Sono
switches between a 3-5-2 and a 4-4-2 formation, depending
on the quality of the opposition. Due to the lack of
any playmaking skill in midfield or quality players
on the wings, South Africa relies on the counterattack
to score the bulk of its goals. The two strikers do
have some speed and use it to corral balls that are
knocked up to them from midfield.
Strengths:
Goalkeeping -- Hans Vonk is a big, athletic goalkeeper
who has seen lots of first-team action this year playing
for Heerenveen in Holland. He played four years ago
in France and uses his experience to organize his defenders.
Attacking speed -- Forwards Sibusiso Zuma, Benni
McCarthy and Shaun Bartlett all have tremendous speed
and pace. Zuma and McCarthy are very swift with the
ball at their feet and will be a handful for opposing
defenders.
Climate -- Unlike other nations, South Africa
will have little trouble acclimatizing itself to the
humid conditions of South Korea. This could prove to
be a big advantage, especially when it plays Slovenia,
a key game for the South Africans.
Weaknesses:
Poor recent form -- South Africa failed to qualify
for the semifinals of this year's African Nations Cup,
bowing out after losing to lowly Mali. Coach Carlos
Queiroz was immediately fired, leaving Jomo Sono to
rebuild a team in disarray.
Inexperience -- The overwhelming majority of
players for South Africa have little international experience.
Even worse, most of them aren't even regular starters
with their European clubs, raising serious questions
as to how prepared and fit this team will be in South
Korea.
Lack of creativity -- South Africa is a humdrum
side that lacks superstars and creative players who
can provide any kind of inspiration. They are a predictable
squad and easily frustrated and intimidated.
Key injuries/squad omissions:
Defender Matthew Booth has been ruled out of the World
Cup with a knee injury. He has been replaced with veteran
Jacob Lekgetho…. Defender Mark Fish was not selected
for duty as he has yet to fully recover from a knee
injury. Veteran Lucas Radebe was selected as his replacement….
Outlook: South Africa breezed through an easy
qualifying round, but will find victories much harder
to come by in Group B. South Africa is a rather bland,
ineffective side that, apart from winning the 1996 African
Nations Cup, has not made any significant impression
on the international stage. South Africa doesn't have
the players, skill or depth required to compete against
Spain and Paraguay in this group. An early exit looks
inevitable, as it will struggle to beat out Slovenia
for third place. More than likely, South Africa will
finish in the bottom of the group.
The
Country
Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip
of the continent of Africa.
Capital: Pretoria
Area: 1,219,912 sq km
Population:43,421,021 (July 2000 est.)
Government type: Republic
Climate: Mostly semiarid; subtropical along
east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Ethnic groups: Black 75.2%, white 13.6%, coloured
8.6%, Indian 2.6%.
Religions: Christian 68%, Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5%,
indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%
Languages: Eleven official languages, including
Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga,
Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu.
History: After the British captured the Cape
of Good Hope area in 1806, Dutch settlers (the Boers)
went north and formed their own republics. The discovery
of diamonds created wealth and stimulated immigration,
while strengthening the repression of the native inhabitants.
The Boers defended against British advances, but were
eventually defeated in the Boer War of 1899-1902. The
ensuing Union of South Africa instituted a policy of
apartheid - the separate development of the races. Apartheid
ended in the 1990s and the era of black majority rule
was ushered in with Nelson Mandela leading the country.
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