IT'S THE SAME OLD STORY FOR THE UNDER-23 SOCCERSIDE
WHEN it comes to South African football teams and tournaments, the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.
With their first-round exit from the men’s Olympic football tournament, the national under-23s conformed to the norm rather than exceeding expectations. As usual, the negatives outweighed the positives.
Mothobi Mvala did an admirable job of roughing the Brazilian midfield before his unnecessary red card. However, it was a party trick that only had the shelf life of one match.
This should have been applied against the slick Iraqis, who were able to draw him out of position and attack the space behind him. This put pressure on a nonfunctional defence that was missing Eric Mathoho.
Mvala has the potential to develop into an effective midfield destroyer but the reliance on muscling opposition off the ball is nearsighted.
With his shackling of Neymar against Brazil, Abbubaker Mobara showed how finesse will always trump physicality at the highest level.
Orlando Pirates have never quite found the ideal replacement for Andile Jali but they may have found one in Mobara.
He may not be the militant midge in Jali’s mould, but he could be the missing link that could free up Oupa Manyisa and the other creative minds in the Pirates midfield.
Mobara’s guile, exemplary football intelligence and the necessary mongrel went a long way to ensuring that Jali’s absence was not keenly felt.
His refusal to back down and be overawed by Neymar’s star quality marked him out as a player to watch.
There were question marks over Itumeleng Khune’s selection and his performances showed why Owen da Gama placed his faith in him.
It could have been an embarrassing campaign bordering on the bottomless pit that was the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations if Khune did not play nor bring his famed big-match temperament with him.
Mathoho also proved his value in a talented but highly inexperienced defence. The cluelessness of the back four during the Iraq game underlined his value to the team.
For all his talent, Deolin Mekoa is not a leftback and should not have been deployed in that position.
While there is a requirement for wingers to be adept defensively, employing specialists in the position eases the defensive load for others.
While Mekoa wasn’t tested against Brazil, his positioning was repeatedly exposed against Denmark and Iraq.
Also leaving Kwanda Mngonyama on the bench against Iraq with Mathoho injured left the team exposed aerially. It was an inexplicable decision, especially in the light of the shambolic defensive display in São Paulo and ease in which they conceded the set-piece goal against Iraq.
Then there was the debilitating inability to retain possession, something that dogged them throughout the group stages.
Captain Keagan Dolly bravely carried his team but the over-reliance on him to create everything was asking too much.
Dolly was tightly marked in each game and it was clear he needed support upfront. Unfortunately, it was not forthcoming from Menzi Masuku and Aubrey Modiba.
The former was a shadow of his Premier Soccer League self and could not justify why he started the last two matches ahead of Tashreeq Morris or Tyroane Sandows. Teams that harbour realistic ambitions of getting into tournament finals have creative hubs, not just one magician.
However, Dolly enhanced his reputation to a point where Mamelodi Sundowns boss Patrice Motsepe could resign himself to losing the leftfooted wizard in the near future.