Polokwane - Rivaldo Coetzee wasn’t sure he was ready to heed Shakes Mashaba’s call and make his Bafana Bafana debut against Congo on Saturday.
On Friday night, he was thinking of going to the coach’s room to tell Mashaba to withdraw him for the team. He wished the night would never end, and that time could stand still so that he did not have to go out on to the field the next day.
“I wanted to sleep the whole day! I didn’t want the time to move, I wanted the time to stand still,” Coetzee told Independent Newspapers on Sunday. “I was very nervous, and I kept on thinking ‘I’m not ready’, and maybe I should tell the coach he must take me out.”
There was some debate on social media about whether Ajax Cape Town centre back was ready to be tossed into the Red Devils’ Pointe-Noire fortress at the Stade Municipal.
However, a few minutes after becoming the youngest player to represent South Africa, it was clear that the 17-year-old kid from Kakamas in the Northern Cape was indeed ready.
The first high-ball he had to deal with was headed away with the authority of a seasoned veteran. And not even the partisan and hostile crowd could faze him as he put in a solid performance that vindicated Mashaba’s decision to pick the youngster ahead of experienced players like Tefu Mashamaite.
Coetzee says his teammates played a big role in settling his nerves. During the pre-match pictures on the field, central midfielder Dean Furman whispered a few words of encouragement in his ear, while the team’s pre-match rituals on the bus took his mind off the loud home supporters on the way to the stadium.
“I was very emotional, because coming into the game the team knew, and I knew, it was not going to be easy. But with the players next to me, and their leadership qualities, they made me quite calm,” Coetzee said.
“On our way to the stadium we were singing, and that also made me calm. I knew that everybody back at home will be supporting me and watching the game, and I couldn’t disappoint them.
“I knew I had to come out of my shell and put in a top performance for my country.”
Coetzee says he had been reminded before the Bafana camp that he could break Aaron Mokoena’s record if he made his debut before his 18th birthday on Thursday.
“I knew that before I came to camp, as my teammates at Ajax and a few journalists told me I can make history. But for me, it wasn’t about making history. It was just about playing for my country and taking my chances,” he said.
“The coach just said this is my chance and I must do what they brought me in to do. It was quite intimidating, but after a few touches, the nerves calmed down.”
Mashaba was thrilled with Coetzee’s performance, which helped Bafana keep their third-straight clean sheet in the qualifiers after the 2-0 win over the Congo.
It is believed that Coetzee’s pace may have given him the nod over Mashamaite, who has been in terrific form for Kaizer Chiefs so far this season.
“Rivaldo is a guy who I was asked about in the past few weeks. But if there were awards, he could have been given Man of the Match against Congo.
“The only thing is, we balanced the team according to the opposition. That is what we are doing, and I want people to understand that. We’re not just calling anyone to come and play.
“We look at the strengths of the team we’re playing against, and what kind of players do we need to counter that.”
Mashaba’s youth brigade are now on the verge of qualifying for the 2015 African Cup of Nations following their win over Congo. The same result against the Red Devils here at the Peter Mokaba Stadium should be enough to see the team through after Nigeria were shocked 1-0 by lowly Sudan on Saturday evening.
Meanwile, Sapa reports that despite being on the verge of qualification, Mashaba said he would still work on keeping his players grounded.
“This result has led us to the good and the bad - players when they have taken a lead, they're showboating and it’s a tough thing to get it out of them.
“Congo were booming with confidence and it nearly cost us. If it was not for Senzo Meyiwa, they would have scored a goal or two.”
The coach said Bafana would adopt a similar approach in the next match.
“We need to guard against complacency.
“Playing at home is also not a luxury anymore as the players become more under pressure from the fans and end up making mistakes.
“But I believe it’s a plus to us having played three tough games without conceding a goal. We are in a good spot now.”
The Bafana mentor has now beaten the Congolese two times - the first in 1992 in Johannesburg. “I am happy to have beaten Congo for the second time. The first time I was a stand-in coach. We defeated them 1-0, today it was two, and I hope the next time it will be three,” Mashaba said.
“But it shows there is some improvement from the coaches, we are getting somewhere. It also shows we are on track with our vision. Going forward we will bring in one or two more players, because we are building a new side and I hope it will bring more results.”
Cape Times