Bafana in draw with Japan

BAFANA Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s new era with the South African national side got off to a good start when a new-look Bafana held the highly rated Japan to a hard-fought 0-0 draw in a friendly international clash watched by 44 000 enthusiastic fans at the new Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

Parreira, who replaced fellow countryman Joel Santana last month, had an immediate effect. While there were a lot of bad mistakes made by Bafana this was by far their gutsiest performance since reaching the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in June.Bafana showed fight and, as promised by skipper Aaron Mokoena, the players were prepared to put their bodies on the line to get a result against a Japanese side that have already qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa next June.The draw ended a series of poor defeats under Santana and Bafana go into Tuesday’s friendly against Jamaica in Bloemfontein with a lot of confidence and morale restored.There is still a long road ahead for Bafana and Parreira, but at least they started on a positive note against the Blue Samurai. South Africa battled to get into the match due to a lot of pressure from the kick-off by Japan, ranked 40th in the world, who showed they were not in the Windy City for a holiday camp. The South Africans were under a lot of pressure against the more composed and better-organised Japanese side who had control of the opening 25 minutes.Parreira persisted with the two defensive midfielders, Macbeth Sibaya and the out of form Kagisho Dikgacoi, his predecessor Joel Santana so loved. That forced strikers Benni McCarthy and Katlego Mphela to come deep to get the ball during the opening half an hour.But Parreira was determined that Bafana keep their shape and kill the visitors’ threat in the midfield where Japan looked dangerous when going forward.But all credit to Parreira who made three bold substitutions in the 68th minute when he took off ineffective playmaker Teko Modise, replaced by Elrio van Heerden, Dikgacoi, for Reneilwe Letsholonyane, and the hard working Siphiwe Tshabalala, given a rest a rest for speedy SuperSport United left wing Daine Klate. – Supersoccer