How Fransman fits into Bafana’s strategy
JOEL SANTANA could take one step further into an abyss of negativity tomorrow and field a jaw-dropping three defensive midfielders in Bafana Bafana’s international friendly against Germany at the Bay Arena here (kick-off 8.45pm SA time).
The Brazilian Bafana coach was all bravado in the pre-match press conference at the team hotel yesterday, promising the German media that they would be “pleasantly surprised by the strike force I will put on the field”.
Yet this was not entirely apparent as Bafana took part in their first full training session on their trip to Germany yesterday, in front of about a hundred fascinated locals at the stadium of FC Union Solingen.
A small, leafy German town about 17 kilometres east of Leverkusen, Solingen came out in decent numbers, if not exactly hordes, to take a look at Bafana Bafana training in the pouring rain, and applauded politely any decent attacking moves supplied by the visiting nation. These hand claps, however, were rather sparse, as Bafana’s ‘first team’ took on the reserves in a practise match.
Santana started the practice by fielding a midfield that included Bevan Fransman, Kagiso Dikgacoi and Benson Mhlongo, with Steven Pienaar as its only attacking cog.
Bernard Parker partnered Katlego Mphela in attack, but if his initial midfield is an indicator, the Bafana coach, for all his bravado, may well be intent on simply strangling the life out of Germany tomorrow in search of a result.
There is a glimmer of hope, in that Santana also switched to a slightly more attacking lineup during training, whereby Siphiwe Tshabalala took up a post on the left of midfield, with Fransman slipping back into defence in place of Morgan Gould. The new ‘first team’ certainly created a few more chances, though they still hardly electrified the sleepy Solingenites.
One consistent in the two sides was the Israel-based Fransman. The Maccabi Netanya player has not featured for Bafana since Santana’s first game in charge, a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in June 2008, and admitted he was a little surprised to be called back into the fray. “I was a bit surprised because I have been out of the fold... but I am happy to be back,” said Fransman yesterday.
The honest former Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows defender is happy to admit that he may not have been in the squad were it not for injuries to Macbeth Sibaya and Matthew Booth.
“Circumstances have played into my hand a bit, that is a bit obvious, but I am here, and I hope to stay here,” he said.
And Fransman is happy to fill in for Bafana, if needed, in a defensive midfield role, which he performed last season at Netanya.
“I filled in there in the middle of last season and towards the end,” he said. “So it’s a possibility come Saturday, who knows. I feel comfortable playing there. I enjoyed the challenge at club level. Obviously at international level it’s a different experience but for me it will be a challenge.”
Fransman also believes Bafana have a chance of upsetting Germany tomorrow.
“Every team plays to win, if you don’t think you can win, you shouldn’t step onto the field,” he said.
TV: Tomorrow 8.45pm, SABC 1