South Africa Maybe, But Not Bafana Bafana

One of the slogans around here in welcoming the 2010 FIFA  World Cup is "This is Africa's Time to Shine". As on one hand this may still be the case from the country's standpoint, the national team, Bafana Bafana, is seeing their time to shine slip away.

An opening match tie with Mexico, followed by a tie in the other group opener, had all of Group A with one point each after a match, which set up the second games of the group as critical encounters. It was a test South Africa would fail, Wednesday, at Pretoria's Loftus Stadium, against Uruguay.

Going into the match, spirits were high and because of Uruguay's lack of recent success, perhaps the locals were taking the match too lightly. In pre-game, though, the fans of both teams were united behind their respective sides, and showed their allegiances in a number of entertaining ways. Am still trying to piece together the story behind the Uruguay duck.....

Once the match began, Uruguay seemed content to allow South Africa possession, then look for spots to counter. That strategy paid off in the 24th minute, when midfielder Diego Forlan, of club side Athletico Madrid, struck a shot from nearly 30 yards out, catching South African goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune off his line, with the ball dropping in just off, and under, the crossbar.

The second half the plan seemed to run the South African attack through midfield, and the talented feet of Everton's Steven Pienaar. Uruguay again sagged in the middle third, but tightened across the back, not allowing any real opportunities in the final third.

South Africa's best scoring chance came on this play, when forward Katlego Mphela flashed in front of the goalkeeper to snap off a header, which somehow, missed the net, wide to the right.

The match turned, though in the 80th minute, when Uruguay forward Luis Suarez, of Holland's Ajax, broke in off the dribble from the left flank. Khune came out to break up the play, and Suarez took the fall, setting up both a penalty kick, and a red card, for the South African goalkeeper. A Dutch photographer next to me cursed Suarez on the play, saying he is one of the worst 'divers' in the Dutch league.

In any event, the penalty was awarded, and converted by Forlan, with substitute goalkeeper Moneeb Josephs' first duty to try and stop the spot kick. With a 2-0 lead in the 80th minute, Uruguay had the match, and the three points, salted away, converting for a third goal, over a disheartened South Africa team, five minutes into stoppage time for the final margin.

Today, am back in Johannesburg, at Soccer City for Argentina-South Korea. My next four matches I alternate between here and Ellis Park, the other Jo'burg venue. And tomorrow, the stakes go way up: USA vs. Slovenia in a 'must win' in that Group C match. Can't wait.....

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