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In their exclusive Club Africa columns, top coach Foppe de Haan and international goalkeeper Hans Vonk give regular updates on events in and around the World Cup finals in South Africa. This week, Foppe, who was manager of the Dutch Under-21 team that won the European Championships in 2007, predicts the possible winners and outsiders of the tournament.
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 “The Dutch team has the tendency to focus too much on the beauty of the game”
Some countries go into the competition with a winning mentality, including Holland. What I noticed most about Holland’s friendly matches was the incredible creativity and enthusiasm with which the Dutch surged forward. Van Persie is a fantastic striker, ably supported by excellent players such as Sneijder and Van der Vaart. The Dutch can also still hope for the return from injury of Arjen Robben. If this team plays freely and without fear, it can go far. But you don’t win prizes for showmanship, and the Dutch team has the tendency to focus too much on the beauty of the game. If I were the national coach I would concentrate on striking the right balance between creativity and reliability, between attractive and effective attacking, between playing your own game and stopping the opponents from playing theirs. |
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 “There are ten or so countries that could cause some surprises”
There is a lot of competition. The ‘usual suspects’ such as Germany and Brazil are always strong adversaries. Behind them are ten or so countries that could cause some surprises. The United States, for instance, which has notched up some impressive victories in the run-up to the finals and is becoming stronger every year. The USA has been a football nation for quite a while now and I believe we may see evidence of that at the World Cup. I expect even more from Australia. With a little help from the Dutch – Dutch coaches and a number of players who play in the Dutch league – the Aussies will be a strong and formidable opponent.
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 “Why can’t South Africa reach the next round?”
And then there are several outsiders I would like to see doing well. I don’t see them making it to the final, but why can’t South Africa reach the next round? They have several star players, such as Katlego Mphela and fans’ idol Siphiwe Tshabalala. As a ‘new’ South African – I have been living in Houtbaai, Cape Town with my wife since last year – I would be thrilled to see them do well. South African success would boost both the tournament and the local population. Unfortunately I don’t think the Bafana Bafana have had the ideal preparation for the event. After the end of the league season year in February, earlier than usual, they had several training camps and played relatively few games. It may be better to have players at the World Cup who have just finished the regular season and are at the peak of their fitness. |
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 “My money is on.....”
Who is going to win? My money is on Spain: A team with a great league and genuine star players who could make all the difference in a major tournament such as this. I think Brazil has more chance of making it to the final than Argentina. The Brazilian coach stood his ground and ignored public opinion by selecting players whom he believed would make the best team (including leaving out Ronaldinho). Argentina has a good team, but, if I may say so, not the most stable coach.
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 “With the official Jabulani World Cup football moving around at an altitude of 1,700 metres in Johannesburg, anything could happen.”
How about Holland, Germany, England and Italy? These countries almost always play a key role during World Cup finals, but who knows how it will pan out this time round. I am certainly looking forward to finding out. I’ll watch some games live in the stadium and others with friends in the Dutch Club in Cape Town. After hearing how much the official Jabulani World Cup football mobes around at an altitude of 1,700 metres in Johannesburg, anything could happen. One thing‘s for sure…We are all in for an exciting month of football!
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 'Go Bafana Bafana': Football fans at fever pitch
First column Hans Vonk
"On Fridays the streets and schools are a sea of yellow, the colour of ‘Bafana Bafana’, the national team."
You can feel the excitement rising as the eyesof the world start to turn on South Africa for the FIFA World Cup. The 32 participating teams are playing their final friendly matches as the managers announce which 23 players will be on the planes heading south. And you can also sense the football fever here in the host nation. Even in my home town of Cape Town, a city where rugby not football is the most popular sport, the temperature is rising. The streets are dominated by World Cup billboards and advertisement on buses, and football is virtually the only topic of conversation.
Go to the column of Hans Vonk > |
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Also in Club Africa
FIFA World Cup inspires local entrepreneurs
The global soccer event has inspired some Western Cape crafter producersand designers to create fun, beautifully crafted pieces.  They range frombeaded soccer ball key rings to life size wire models of soccer players.
Vuvuzela by AdamCarnegie
Art meets Soccer, reflecting the beauty of South Africa and the Cape. Meet the artists and their work on Club Africa and see how local entrepreneurship and art meets soccer.
Read more >
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 Also in Club Africa
Flying Blue Club Africa on facebook
Join us at the Flying Blue Club Africa page on facebook.
It’s the place for sharing information about how to make your business in Africa more efficient. You can start discussions, share experiences and/or learn from others.
Read more >
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Platform for 'usual suspects' and outsiders
