Phokeng — South Africa is back on course to qualify for the second round of the Fifa Confederations cup after a 2-0 win over New Zealand.
The nation was anxiously awaiting its team's first win in the tournament after its draw against lowly-rated Iraq in its first match. The victory was finally achieved in its second match, which took place at the Royal Bafokeng stadium just outside Johannesburg.
After the draw with Iraq, nothing was left to chance. With a player like Steven Pienaar playing the full 90 minutes, Bafana Bafana took control of the game from the first minute.
The England-based Everton man, though not in the best physical condition after an injury thet kept him on the bench in the first game, played a pivotal role and orchestrated all the South African offensives. This led to the first goal in the game by the Maccabi Haifa striker, Tembinkosi Fanteni, but it was ruled out as offside by the Mexican referee, Benito Archunda.
The young South African attacker Bernard Parker finally found the back of the net early in the first half (21 minutes) with a powerful shot that went past the New Zealand keeper Glenn Moss. New Zealand, after conceding their sixth goal in the tournament, could not find their rhythm and kept chasing the ball till the end of the half.
Parker - the New McCarthy
Teko Modise and his teammates got back onto the field for the second half with the same conviction and determination they showed in the first. So elated were their supporters that the sound of their “vuvuzelas” grew loud and irritating enough for Fifa to contemplate banning them for the 2010 World Cup games.
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Without delay, Joel Santana's men resumed their assault on the New Zealand goal with the same Steven Pienaar and Macbeth Sibaya leading the charges. Their efforts were to yield results at the 52nd minute, when Bernard Parker converted from a left cross past the helpless keeper from Melbourne Victory. (2-0)
By scoring both South African goals, the 23-year-old Parker has put himself firmly on the map. This young man from Benoni, a town not for from Johannesburg, has become a lethal weapon in the South African attack. He is fast becoming Benni McCarthy's successor in Bafana Bafana and wears the same number 17 shirt.
Parker leaves for Serbia this year, where he will be plying his trade with Crvena Zvezda. It is fair to say that from his perfomance at the ongoing “Festival of Champions”, he deserves a European club of better standing. In the meantime, his club, Thanda Royal Zulu (formerly Benoni Premier United until it was bought, renamed and moved to Durban) will bask in his goal-scoring glories.
And the "new McCarthy" is fancied to find the back of the net again in this tournament, where South Africa will wish to take their chances until the end.
