Benni McCarthy fires in a free-kick

South Africa's defence struggled to cope with Scotland's makeshift strikeforce (Dobie pictured)

Bertie Vogts resigns himself to his fourth consecutive defeat as Scotland manager

Kevin Kyle sums up a frustrating day for Scotland as they slump to another defeat

Gareth Williams carries the ball forward as Scotland try to pierce the South African defence

Mokoena fires in the first

Better, but Scotland still at a loss
 

JONATHAN COATES in Hong Kong
OUT of the depths of darkness, as always, come tiny little chinks of light. But only the most meagre, primary levels of satisfaction could be gleaned from the response to the "battering in Busan" that saw Scotland lose yet another international match yesterday.

To put each into perspective, the four reversals suffered by Berti Vogts as manager are easily divided into two groups. There are those that have come as galling reminders of a dichotomy in class, and those that have shown his players to be ready, in a hands-to-the-pump manner, to compete; if not yet ready to succeed.

France and South Korea fit snugly into the first category; Nigeria and South Africa into the second. Yet the distinguishing characteristics do not hide the fact that all four have taken the form of a lesson.

Vogts would argue that the overriding ambition of taking a group of schoolchildren on a foreign trip is to encourage them to expand their horizons, not just fill them with experiences of joy. It is the same with this shadow Scotland side.

Gary Caldwell, for example, now knows what it is like to play against the best team in the world. He also knows what it is like to play in front of a massive, partisan audience and he knows how it feels to play against players more accustomed than him to humid conditions. Caldwell knows all of this, yet he only has four caps.

The only danger, though, lies in overestimating the opposition. South Africa proved that, like South Korea, they have at least half-a-dozen attacking players who habitually perform eye-catching, athletic and effective tricks with the ball.

This is why it came as no surprise that, like Nigeria, they breached the lines of Rab Douglas on two occasions. Teboho Mokoena scored from a tight angle after Douglas could only palm Benni McCarthy’s short-range free-kick to his left, and George Koumantarakis finished off a counter-attack in the dying seconds of the game as Scotland committed men forward.

But the most encouraging aspect of Scotland’s response was that at several intervals of the game it had seemed likely that they would secure that cherished reward. How much this owed to the Africans’ disorderliness at the back is difficult to discern.

No account of Scotland’s Reunification Cup campaign should ever neglect the difficulties caused to their unwordly youths by the conditions.

The 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium is set aside an imposing hillside backdrop that puts Arthur’s Seat to shame. But it not only makes for a catching vista. The ground is imbedded into this landscape, almost reaching into the low cloud. A humid afternoon like yesterday can create the illusion of a medium-strength sauna.

But as well as benefiting from a more familiar climate, South Africa seemed to start accumulating advantages during the team line-ups. After a single verse of Flower of Scotland had been introduced as the national anthem of Great Britain, the South Africans enjoyed a rousing rendition of God Bless Africa that seemed like it would hog the airwaves all day.

Kyle, the towering Sunderland striker, made an early impression by heading over an early free-kick from the right by Scot Gemmill, but in the early stages South Africans hogged most of the limelight.

Completing passes of outrageous neatness with ankles, heels and studs, Sibusiso Zuma, Aaron Mokoena and McCarthy all made their way into shooting positions but failed to test a goalkeeper who had already been prone to nervous moments.

Scotland carved out a close call in the 25th minute when Gareth Williams made his way forward, and Allan Johnston played Maurice Ross into space on the left with a first-time flick. Ross found Williams racing in at the near post, and his faint touch was enough to take the ball away from Scott Dobie’s marker.

The exciting young striker pounced on the half-chance and, from a side-on position, stabbed it with the outside of his right foot and watched it spin only a foot or so wide.

The second opening, shortly after half-time, came on the only occasion Dobie was given time on the ball to gather his thoughts. His precision was immaculate as he slipped a ball between two defenders that Kyle was able to take off the toes of the advancing goalkeeper at the edge of the box.

Though the 20-year-old was not permitted the luxury of two touches, his first, chipping the ball over the grounded Hans Vonk and towards the centre of the net, seemed impeccable until it met the immovable resistance of a crossbar.

Between times, Kyle had erred by heading over from three yards after Ross sent in a deep free-kick from the left that sailed over the head of Vonk. But the ease with which Scotland won most of the dead-ball play counted for nothing when you consider that their opponents converted the only chance they had within decent range.

Johnston’s crude lunge on Zuma led to a booking and the additional punishment of an opening goal. As the ball broke to Makoena on the edge of the box he made the most of David Weir’s contact. From only 19 yards, Douglas was exposed and the villain of the piece stole in at the far post to scoop up his scraps.

The Africans, playing in fits and starts, squandered more decent openings in the second half, but never truly mastered a vastly-improved Scotland defence. Ross again one of the best players on show, showed the vision of an old master when he returned Vonk’s poor punch to him with curl and pace from deep on the left.

The keeper made a dramatic save under his bar, and there was nothing so ingenious about the rest of Scotland’s overtures.

As Michael Stewart and Ross argued over who should have passed to whom in the 93rd minute, Delron Buckley threaded a ball through for Komentaris, his fellow sub, to outrun an otherwise fine Lee Wilkie and prod home the latest insult. McVogts 2, Others 13.

South Africa: Vonk, Carnell, Radebe, Mokoena (Nzama 61), Sibaya, Fortune (Buckley 84), Pule (Mukansi 69), Makoena, Issa, Zuma (Koumantarakis 82), McCarthy. Subs not used: Arendse, Marlin, Mngomeni, Mnguni, Nomvete, Pienaar, Molefe.

Scotland: Douglas, Stockdale (G Alexander 69), Dailly, Weir, Caldwell (Wilkie 46), Ross, Gemmill (Stewart 86), Williams (Severin 78), Johnston (McFadden 62), Dobie, Kyle. Subs not used: Gallacher, N Alexander, Cummings, O’Connor, Thompson.

Referee: Chan Siu Kee (HK).