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SOUTH AFRICA DENIED DREAM START IN FIFA WORLD CUP By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Sat, 12 Jun 2010  A stunning opening ceremony before some 90,000 joyous fans in Soccer City in South Africa was matched by a stunning goal by the irrepressible Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 55th minute of the host nation?s opening game against fancied Mexico in the FIFA World Cup. But their hearts were broken when Rafael Marquez ruined what could have been a dream beginning with a late equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw in an absorbing match in which the South Africans squandered a couple of real chances to put the match away. The day began on a note of tragedy when a grief-stricken Nelson Mandela?s 13 year old granddaughter Zenani Mandela was killed in an accident as she was being driven home from a spectacular concert on the eve of the biggest sporting event in the history of Africa. The 91 year old Mandela is in poor health but he had wanted to at least watch part of the opening match in the FIFA World Cup which he was mainly responsible for bringing to South Africa. But the tragedy prevented him from watching and FIFA head Sepp Blatter said he was there at the games in spirit. South African president Jacob Zuma, calling Mandela by his clan name Madiba ? a term of affection ? referred to the death in the Mandela family in an address to the crowd before declaring the FIFA World Cup open. He said Mandela had wanted to be there ?but unfortunately there was a tragedy in the Mandela family. But he said the mage must start. You must enjoy the game? and the teeming crowd at the Johannesburg stadium and a worldwide audience including here in the Philippines where the match was telecast ?live? by ABS-CBN on its SkyCable channel 34 ? ?BALLS? and replayed on Studio 23. Alberto Parreira's hosts appeared on course for three points when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired them in front with a superb 55th-minute strike. But after Teko Modise had missed two clear chances to seal victory, Marquez rescued the draw that Mexico's first-half dominance deserved with a close-range finish 11 minutes from time. The FIFA report on the match follows: South Africa's players were singing as they came down the tunnel before stepping out into a wall of noise inside Soccer City. But after referee Ravshan Irmatov blew the first whistle of these finals, it was Mexico who looked the team in tune. Their positive start might have yielded the earliest goal of any FIFA World Cup Opening Match as Alessandro Dos Santos nearly struck inside two minutes. Paul Aguilar delivered a low cross and when goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune failed to smother it, Dos Santos looked poised to bury the loose ball only for Aaron Mokoena to make a vital block. Javier Aguirre's Mexico created a steady supply of chances as they dominated possession in the first half-hour. After Guillermo Franco had sent a header over from a corner, the lively Dos Santos threatened again when he surged upfield from the centre-circle before slicing a shot wide from the edge of the box. After 32 minutes Carlos Vela sent a dinked ball over the Bafana backline to Franco but he was foiled by Khune. When that pair next combined, Mexico got the ball into the net but Vela was offside as he turned in Franco's flick-on from a corner. Once or twice South Africa?s interpassing almost opened up the Mexico rearguard only for the final ball to go astray. But it was not for nothing that South Africa entered this contest unbeaten in 12 games and home hopes rose before the break when Tshabalala whipped in a dangerous ball that Katlego Mphela just failed to get his head to. It was Tshabalala himself who made the breakthrough by concluding a four-man move in spectacular style ten minutes after the restart. Latching on to a long diagonal through-ball by Kagisho Dikgacoi, he broke into the penalty box on the left before unleashing a superb left-footed shot high into the opposite corner. Soccer City exploded in celebration and after Khune had turned behind Dos Santo's rising shot, Modise could have put the game out of sight. With 66 minutes on the clock, Mphela's effort deflected to the feet of the Bafana No11 but with just Oscar Perez to beat, he shot wide. Modise got through again but under pressure from Francisco Rodriguez, failed to get the power on his shot to trouble Perez. The hosts paid for their profligacy when Andres Guardado picked out the unmarked Marquez at the far post and he gave Khune no chance with a near-post finish. Even then South Africa might have snatched a winner only for Mphela's left-foot strike to rebound to safety off the post. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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