Double trouble for Bafana
Big Test | SA come up against world-class attacking players in Neymar and Hulk
WHICH is the lesser of two evils? The supernaturally skilful prince of Barcelona, Neymar, whose talents have been hailed as genius even though he’s widely considered to still be developing? Or the aptly named Hulk, Zenit St Petersburg’s battering ram forward?
That’s the choice and prospect facing Bafana Bafana full-backs Anele Ngcongca and Thabo Matlaba in Wednesday night’s friendly at FNB Stadium. But, in the spirit of the South Africans’ shock 1-0 victory against Spain at the same venue in November, the two say they are not that fazed.
Part of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s success for Brazil has not just been the emergence of a Neymar beginning to challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the world’s best-player mantle since joining Barcelona last year.
Scolari’s devastating wide attacking plan has Neymar and 1.8m, 76kg Hulk switching regularly from left to right, presenting full-backs with vastly different challenges from minute to minute.
Club issues kept Racing Genk’s Ngcongca out of Bafana’s last match against Brazil — the impressive 1-0 defeat in Sao Paulo in Gordon Igesund’s first match in charge. But the right-back has experience playing against Hulk in the Europa League when the Brazilian was still at FC Porto, before a à40- million transfer to Russia.
“I know what he’s capable of. And of course Neymar will be a challenge,” Ngcongca said.
“Neymar is technical, quick and tricky. I’ve come up against those kinds of players.
“You just need to be more concentrated.
“Hulk is strong but it’s every defender’s dream to face a player who doesn’t run behind your back, and plays one-twos. But you cannot give him space because he has that powerful shot.”
Ngcongca makes a good point. The defender was not in Sao Paulo, so did not personally view Hulk’s thunderous strike when allowed a ballpark of space to score the winning goal in the 74th minute. It came against the run of play after Bafana had run the Selecao ragged.
But it was also a different Brazil. The unpopular Mano Menezes was fired two months later. Big Phil guided Brazil to last year’s Confederations Cup with an emphatic 3-0 victory against Spain in the final. Neymar has grown up. Something else Ngcongca missed in Brazil was Siyabonga Sangweni’s crunching tackle and intimidating pose he took over Neymar in the opening minutes, eliminating the starlet as a factor in the game.
“I think it’s important you unsettle the opposition,” Ngcongca
Neymar is going to come here and play simple. When he tries the tricky stuff, he can be difficult
said. “It’ll be like a boxing match — whoever gets the first punch can dominate. Not only one player, but as a team.
“These players play in the big leagues and Champions League. I’ve faced players like Franck Ribery [for Bafana in the World Cup against France]. It’s every players’ dream matching yourself against the world's best.”
Newer to international football, Orlando Pirates left-back Matlaba gained confidence from the job he did marking Spain substitute Jesus Navas.
The ultra-attacking Matlaba is not as sound as Ngcongca standing up in the challenge, but has the pace to recover when beaten, and is so fast he’s onto attackers quicker than most fullbacks.
“Jesus is a guy who likes to cross, but I’d watched him play and I knew, a small space, he will cross. So every time he had the ball I got near him,” Matlaba said.
“Neymar is going to come here and play simple. When he tries the tricky stuff, he can be difficult.”
Matlaba said it’s clear that Igesund enjoys planning for and matching himself against the world’s best.
“Against the likes of Spain and Brazil, we know he comes with a good plan. After losing the ball we get behind the ball. They can play at the back but when they come into our half we press them.
“In Sao Paulo we did everything right but score. Watching from the bench, we were all over them — running all over, playing, sweating in the heat. Brazil don’t like running. They like passing, moving the ball. If you run at them they get frustrated.”
It might be a strange atmosphere in the Bafana camp. Several players have been included who alleged that Igesund had influenced the squad to rebel over bonuses at the disastrous Chan. Media reports have this as the coach’s last game. Even so, Bafana have always run Brazil close.
“We beat Spain and that’s an advantage for us,” Matlaba said.