Nothing is impossible for Bafana Bafana

There were no glowing reviews of South Africa’s training camp in Brazil, and Bafana Bafana has some way to go before its opening match of the World Cup against Mexico at Soccer City on 11 June. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira admitted afterward that the glass was only half full and he has nine weeks in which to fill it, and hopes his 'cup' will overflow with joy after the first round of the World Cup.

It will be a tough assignment. At least two former World Cup winners, France and Uruguay, are first-round opponents.

Uruguay’s last Cup glory came in the first half of the 20th century, but there are strong indications that it can reach the quarterfinals this time around.

Recently, the team beat the highly rated Switzerland 3-1, and it was as convincing as the score line indicated. Coming back from a goal down, Diego Forlán of Atlético Madrid and Luis Suárez of Ajax Amsterdam, two prolific goal scorers in European football, did the finishing in spectacular style.

Edinson Cavani of Italy’s Palermo added the third.

After the victory, Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said: “If Uruguay plays like this at the World Cup, they will certainly get beyond the group stage and could well go to the last eight and further.”

Uruguay always has been credited with its tenacity, but currently it has added two arrows to the bow. Its passing game is precise, and its finishing is phenomenal.

Perhaps Parreira should send a spy to Uruguay.

It is an aspect of the South African game on which Parreira has been working, and he has admitted it is far from the finished product. “It is something I’d like our boys to learn – keep possession. We have to know the value of ball possession.

"When you have the ball, the opposition becomes frustrated. You need to build up from the back, pass the ball around – that’s the only way,” said the Bafana coach.

But even with possession, South Africa has struggled to finish off teams. Parreira complained bitterly in Brazil about the quality of the Premier Soccer League, saying it is not the duty of the coach to create Bebeto’s and Romário’s (his two strikers when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994).

The lack of finishing touches had the coach scratching his head in disgust. He further said the transition from defence to attack has to be accelerated, while the physical fitness levels require fine-tuning.

All is not lost for Parreira’s men

Only 13 of the 29 players who are leaving for the training camp in Germany would feature in the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup.

At least 10, and possibly 12 players, would come from the South African contingent based in Europe.

And there are some superb play-makers and finishers in that group, as well as the talismanic figure of captain Aaron Mokoena who is part of the Portsmouth team that clinched a place in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Some of the South African exports are quite charismatic players, such as Steven Pienaar who plays for Everton on either the right or left wing, and has made an impact in England with his bursts of speed.

Midfielders Elrio van Heerden, who features for Sivasspor in the Turkish Super League; and Kagisho Dikgacoi, who represents Fulham, have the ability to do what Parreira demands, and that is to keep possession.

Benni McCarthy has had a topsy-turvy international career lately, partially because of a bittersweet relationship with the former coach, Joel Santana. The 31-year old currently represents West Ham United.

But his experience as a striker in the twilight of his career cannot be discarded. He scored 37 goals in 109 appearances for Blackburn Rovers – something not to be sniffed at.

Bernard Parker, who currently plays for FC Twente in the Netherlands, showed his prowess as midfielder and striker in the Confederations Cup.

But perhaps the man who demonstrated that Bafana Bafana has the capabilities to unlock the defence of even the best team in the world, is Katlego Mphela. This striker came onto the field in the 73rd minute of the playoff for third place in the Confederations Cup. His double strike sent the number-one ranked team in the world, Spain, into disarray and South African fans into football heaven for a few minutes.

The point is: South Africa may be lowly ranked, but with the right frame of mind, a well-drilled squad and good cohesion, nothing is impossible.

The worrying aspect is whether Parreira can pull off a miracle by getting the squad to function as a unit in five short weeks before the starting game against Mexico.

The overseas players only arrive in the first week of May.

A friend of mine always says: “Don’t panic. Remember Pearl Harbour.”

Perhaps it should be rephrased: “Don’t panic. Just remember how close Bafana Bafana came to beating Spain, and how competitive they were against Brazil in the Confederations Cup in 2009 in their semifinal encounter."

Nothing is impossible.