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Awful All Whites Sunk By South Africa
by Jeremy Ruane
Host nation South Africa put themselves on the verge of a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup Finals on June 17, as they won as they liked over a frankly awful All Whites combination at Rustenburg's Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
The 2-0 scoreline flattered New Zealand, who were a distinct second-best in almost every aspect of the game against the South Africans - not something one is used to seeing when these countries draw swords on the world's sporting stage.
The one exception wore the number one jersey - Glen Moss kept the score down. But for his efforts, the All Whites would have found themselves on the wrong end of a second successive 5-0 tanning, Spain having inflicted such a defeat on the Kiwi team in their opening Confederations Cup fixture.
While the All Whites were a distinct second-best in that game - understandably so, given the pedigree of the European champions, a much more competitive showing was expected against Bafana Bafana, as the South Africans are known.
The reality was an abject effort by what is easily the poorest team on show at the “The Festival of Champions”, as the tournament which brings together the champions of the world and of the confederations on the home turf of the next World Cup Finals hosts is also known.
Right from the outset, the South Africans looked a yard sharper, faster and smarter than their opponents, and a thirty yard grasscutter from Teko Modise which sizzled past Moss' right-hand post came close to confirming it on the scoreboard early doors.
The All Whites' goalkeeper smothered a Bernard Parker effort five minutes later, after the raiding Kagisho Dikcagoi and Thembinkosi Fanteni had combined on the right, while Bafana Bafana had the ball in the back of New Zealand's net two minutes later, only for Fanteni's effort to be ruled out by the offside flag.
It was a warning shot across New Zealand's bows, but one they appeared to fail to heed - they certainly made no effort to mount any noteworthy raids of their own in the first half, and after Moss had smothered a Steven Pienaar piledriver, the Kiwis found themselves trailing on the scoreboard in the 21st minute.
Pienaar, the dreadlocked Evertonian, sparked the move, coming in off the left to work a one-two with Modise before Parker took over, and instantly played in Tsepo Masilela, whose oft-unopposed runs down the South African left were a regular sight throughout the match.
The All Whites appeared to have no way of responding to the threat he posed, and when the flank player got the better of David Mulligan on this occasion, his options were numerous.
He opted to pull the ball back for Parker, whose shot on the turn arrowed goalwards. Moss got his hand to the ball, but only enough to divert its trajectory from the bottom far corner of the net to its roof - the `keeper's effort deserved better fate, although those in front of him could have few complaints about the outcome, such was their contribution towards it.
There was a lack of passion and fire in New Zealand's play, evidenced by their response to this setback - in short, they didn't. Their efforts were akin to the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink”. There was just nothing there - no spark, no creativity … no petrol in the tank.
And it's not as if the South Africans are any great shakes. They stand just ten places about the All Whites in FIFA's rankings, but buoyed on by a highly energetic 36,598-strong home crowd, they were made to look like world-beaters by a combination which gave the impression at times that it would have trouble beating an egg!
The host nation created just one more opening of note in the first half, just after the half-hour mark. Parker, the goalscorer, swooped on a loose ball on half-way and set sail for goal, bursting past two opponents before thrashing a shot goalwards from the edge of the penalty area. Only the legs of Moss denied him.
That Bafana Bafana didn't create any more noteworthy chances before the interval was due to the All Whites enjoying their best period of the match in the final fifteen minutes of the half. They didn't create a great deal themselves - a long-throw from Mulligan, which Ivan Vicelich flicked on, saw Tim Brown fire woefully wide - but at least they looked mildly competitive, albeit for a brief period.
It wasn't to last, however. From the start of the
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 Glen Moss plucks the ball off the heads of Tony Lochhead (3) and Siboniso Gaxa
 David Mulligan tackles Tsepo Masilela as Duncan Oughton awaits developments
 The All Whites pre-match huddle
 Simon Elliott in aerial combat with Teko Modise
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second half, there was only one team in the contest, and it quickly became a case of not if South Africa would win, but by how many against Oceania's champions, a country which is just two games away from returning here in a year's time having qualified for the World Cup Finals.
They don't merit the opportunity on this showing. Indeed, the All Whites' display further justified the controversial decision watching FIFA President Sepp Blatter made a few years ago, to retract the pledge which granted the Oceania Confederation direct entry to the World Cup Finals, instead forcing them to qualify for the game's quadrennial celebration via a two-legged inter-confederation play-off.
The All Whites will face either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia in that contest. Both are currently ranked higher than South Africa, who swept downfield in the 49th minute led by Fanteni and Parker, whose deft back-heel brought Pienaar into play.
Masilela was steaming up on the left yet again, and upon receipt of the ball, duly delivered a deep early cross which bounced nicely into the stride of Dikgacoi, whose header was grabbed by Moss.
Three minutes later, the All Whites' foremost custodian was beaten for a second time. Sibonisa Gaxa played the ball forward to Fanteni, who linked with Modise and Pienaar. Flying up on his left was Masilela, who swept past Mulligan before whipping in a cross to the near post.
Parker met it with a superbly angled first-time shot which arrowed across Moss and into the net by the far post - a cracking strike which made it 2-0 to Bafana Bafana, much to the delight of their fans, and the frustration of the Kiwis, four of whom were booked by Mexican referee Benito Archundia before the final whistle.
Just after the hour, Moss grabbed a header from Parker as he looked to complete his hat-trick when getting on the end of a Modise free-kick. The set-piece deliverer then rattled the hoardings behind New Zealand's goal seconds afterwards, a feat repeated by Masilela in the 65th minute.
After South African substitute Katlego Mashego had a goal disallowed for offside nineteen minutes from time, Shane Smeltz fired New Zealand's lone shot in anger, a 73rd minute effort which forced Itumeleng Khune to dirty his goalkeeping gear.
This roused Bafana Bafana into looking to confirm their superiority on the scoreboard via a third goal. Eight minutes from time, only a splendid save from Moss prevented them from doing so, the `keeper denying Mashego at close quarters after Pienaar, Masilela and Siphiwe Tshabalala had combined on the left, New Zealand's right.
Soon after, the South African substitutes combined cleverly in the penalty area, with Tshabalala and Mashego prizing open the All Whites' rearguard via a back-heel from the latter which sent the former scampering to the by-line.
He pulled the ball back, but just behind Mashego, allowing Vicelich - with Moss and Simon Elliott the only New Zealanders who can say they did justice to the shirt in this match - to clear the danger.
South Africa's comfortable 2-0 victory sets them up for a clash with a Spanish team which will be looking to equal the world record of 35 consecutive internationals without defeat when they draw swords in Bloemfontein.
For the All Whites, meanwhile, the sandpit which is Ellis Park, Johannesburg, will be their final match venue at these Confederations Cup Finals, this defeat confirming them as the first team to be eliminated from trophy contention.
An Iraq team with very realistic hopes of a top-two finish will provide New Zealand with worthwhile opposition from a World Cup play-offs perspective on Sunday morning, NZ time, but Ricki Herbert and his charges have an awful lot of work to do if they are to realise their primary objective for the year, towards which this tournament has been a significant stepping stone.
South Africa: Khune; Gaxa, Mokoena, Booth; Dikgacoi, Modise, Sibaya, Pienaar (booked, 80), Masilela; Parker (Tshabalala, 81), Fanteni (Mashego, 62)
New Zealand: Moss; Mulligan, Vicelich (booked, 90), Boyens (booked, 72), Lochhead; Christie (booked, 53), Brown (Oughton, 55), Elliott, Bertos (James, 66); Smeltz (booked, 85), Killen (Wood, 75)
Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)
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