Gordinho sets the pace for U23s
UP TO SPEED: Lorenzo Gordinho, left, seen here in a tussle with Evans Rusike of Maritzburg United in a recent Premiership match, is back in the SA under-23 team for their match against Brazil today LORENZO Gordinho hopes to bring muchneeded pace to the South Africa under-23 team’s central defence in their first true test outside Africa against hosts Brazil today in preparation for the Rio Olympics in August.
The SA U23s reached the Olympics via the U23 Africa Cup of Nations in November with an electrifying attack. But their wooden, outpaced central defence was caught out too often.
Gordinho, 21, has been drafted back having broken into Kaizer Chiefs’ lineup as a regular this season.
The quick, neat centre back had seen action early during U23 coach Owen da Gama’s tenure against Sudan and Palestine last year.
“I have grown as a person and player since I was last in the squad. I’ve experienced a lot this past six months,” Gordinho said.
Third place at the U23 Afcon would suggest Da Gama’s team have ground to make up to be competitive at the Olympics. A gauge of whether Gordinho’s addition has made any difference comes against Brazil, who lost 1-0 to U23 Afcon winners Nigeria on Friday.
Gordinho comes from footballing stock, though in the form of a son of Chiefs’ bitter rivals, father Manny Faria having played for Orlando Pirates. Faria was a tough Portuguese-born centre back who played a role in financially troubled Pirates’ lean years in the 1980s.
Playing also for Benoni United and Portugal’s Gil Vicente, Faria scored 112 goals in 375 games.
“His record is incredible. I heard he was very strong, very competitive,” Gordinho, born in 1994 after his father’s career had ended, said.
Gordinho’s brother, Anthony, younger by a year, is an Ajax Cape Town youth product waiting to make his breakthrough at Supersport United.
Frustratingly for Bucs fans, Lorenzo Gordinho came through their club’s youth system from 11 to 15.
“I thought I’d grown as much as I could after Pirates gave me a good foundation,” he said. “At Chiefs they took that foundation and built on it. Under coach Doctor [Khumalo] I really learnt a lot. Different techniques of football and styles of play. At Pirates they had a set style.”
With the departure of 2014-15 PSL player of the season Tefu Mashamaite, Gordinho has nudged ahead of Ivan Bukenya, Morgan Gould and Siyanda Xulu to partner Mulomowandau Mathoho in a Chiefs team unable to regain last season’s form.
“It’s been tough filling Masha’s shoes. I’m working hard to change that partnership to Lorenzo and ‘Tower’ [Mathoho], instead of Tower and ‘Masha’ [Mashamaite], or Tower and Morgan,” Gordinho said.
The lessons learnt will stand the young defender in good stead trying to earn a place alongside some talented emerging centre backs in the U23s, including Bafana Bafana regular Rivaldo Coetzee.
“We have a strong generation of players between 20 and 23. And they’re playing for their clubs in the league,” Gordinho said.
“I think it’s important we give a good account of ourselves against Brazil. But the motivation is there — playing against Brazil is enough.”
Brazil meet Young Bafana in the coastal city of Maceio. Following their senior team’s extraordinary 7-1 2014 World Cup semifinal rout as hosts against Germany, the country desperately wants talent to come through.
Included in coach Rogerio Micale’s squad are prodigies such as Arsenal-linked Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa, who signed for Santos at eight years old, and Lazio’s Manchester United target Felipe Anderson.
We have a strong generation between 20 and 23. And they’re playing in the league