Brazil run riot against Bafana

This year’s 2014 World Cup hosts, Brazil, set the tone for the upcoming event when they proved too strong for South Africa in their international friendly match at FNB Stadium on Wednesday evening, claiming a 5-0 win in Johannesburg.

Oscar set the tone of Brazilian dominance from as early as the tenth minute, when he burst into the box and broke the deadlock, before Neymar bagged three goals for himself to complete an impressive win.

The fixture marked the passing over of South Africa’s host nation duties from the 2010 World Cup to the new World Cup hosts, Brazil.

Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund was able to call-up some of his strongest players, but had to make do without the services of their revered captain Itumeleng Khune due to injury.

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Thabo Nthethe stepped up to take the responsibility of leading the nation, while the likes of international based players Daylon Claasen and Dean Furman were in the line-up.

The hosts were taking a rather cautious approach to their game, while Brazil, who were playing their last match before the final World Cup squad is announced, came out looking to exploit the far from convincing Bafana backline.

Hulk tried to pick out Fred in the sixth minute, but the striker couldn’t direct a shot on target and it took a deflection to roll out at the near post.

The five times Champions took the lead in the 10^th minute when Hulk cut open the defence with his pass on the right hand side, with Oscar there to coolly chip it past the debuting Ronwen Williams in goal.

South Africa were then handed another blow nine minutes later, when their former captain Bongani Khumalo was stretchered off and replaced by Siyanda Xulu.

That change seemed to spur Bafana Bafana into life as they tried to unlock the Brazil defence, with midfielder Thulani Serero barely testing Julio Cesar with a long ball from the left-flank.

It was so nearly 2-0 on the half hour when Neymar made his way through the opposition defence and tried to lob Williams. The goalkeeper had rushed off his line and, much to his relief, saw the ball strike his back and go out for a corner.

But Neymar did double the Selecao’s lead when he picked up the ball on the edge of the box five minutes from the break. The Barcelona man ran a few paces forward before unleashing a shot which went through the legs of Williams.

Bafana’s best chance of the game came just before the interval when Furman struck a low ball from 20-yards only to see it whisker just wide of Julio Cesar’s goal.

The two teams weren’t even out on the field for 40 seconds at the restart when Neymar secured his brace on the evening. Fred supplied a great ball which saw him beat the offside trap and delicately chip over Williams’ head for 3-0.

Ayanda Patosi came on in place of Bernard Parker and he nearly made it 3-1 with his first touch of the ball. Serero turned on the ball and fed through an effort to the Lokeren man, who then struck a great effort at goal only to see it saved by the gloves of a Julio Cesar.

The whitewash was complete with two goals in the last ten minutes. The first came when Williams could only but watch as Manchester City’s Fernandinho fired an unstoppable effort from 30-yards into the top left corner.

And the record defeat arrived in the final moments when Neymar tapped in a nodded in cross from his teammate to make it 5-0.

South Africa: (0) 0

Brazil: (2) 5 (Oscar 10’, Neymar 40’, 46’, 89’, Fernandinho 80’)

South Africa: Williams; Matlaba, Khumalo (Xulu 19’), Nthethe, Ngcongca; Furman, Jali; Parker, Serero, Claasen; Rantie

Brazil: Julio Cesar; Marcelo, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Rafinha; Fernandinho, Paulinho; Neymar, Oscar, Hulk; Fred