Match № 17

The match № 17 (group stage), fifth tournament day

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA – KAZAKHSTAN 0:0

January 20th, 2015, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 300 spectators

Referees: Vasiliy Kazartsev, Roman Milyuchenko, Kirill Bolshakov

Republic of South Africa: Msibi, Seriba, Madisha (c), Leepile, Ngubo (Masiya, 72), Maraisane, Modiba, Farmer, Boikanyo (Domingo, 79), Luthuli, Monamodi

Head coach: David Notoane

Kazakhstan: Pavlov, Aslan (c), Sartakov, Fedin (Uzdenov, 85), Rudoselsky, Suley (Sariev, 46), Tungysbaev, Shaikhov, Tuliev, Aimbetov (Rodionov, 90), Khairullin (Djalilov, 79)

Head coach: Saulius Sirmelis

Yellow card: Khairullin (69)

Best players: Siphelele Luthuli, Berik Shailkhov

Photos>>>

Video >>>

 

After match comments

Head coach of team Republic of South Africa David Notoane:

– I want to thank the opponent for a great game. They have a good coach, tactically strong team. We wanted to win, we had 2 or 3 scoring chances to do so. We had 100% scoring moment with corner kick, but I think the result fairly reflects the game.

– At last press-conference you admitted that you don't know nothing about the opponent. Is that the same with Kazakhstan?

– Kazakhstan is a very strong team. We have enough information about them – in the field of football and in general. We also had chance to get to know each other. Still, you can't be prepared for the game for 100%, sometimes occasional things happen to correct actions.

– Now African Cup has started. Yesterday your national team started to perform. Did you watch the game?

– Yes. Unfortunately, our senior team lost with Alger 1:3. That was a dramatic game, we were upset. Still, we tried to calm ourselves with the fact – if we win here, in St. Petersburg, our country will receive its victory. No matter what, we've tried to win. We are in quarterfinal

Head coach of team Kazakhstan Saulius Sirmelis:

– I can repeat one more time that we came here to study. We gathered this team 9 days ago. After watching nearly all the teams on the tournament, I can say that today we have played with the most spectacular squad on Commonwealth Cup. Our opponent was really strong. We let them make 2 or 3 scoring moments and that means my players played good in defense and obeyed the tactics. There were more dangerous near our goal-area in previous matches. We stagnated a bit in the end of the match but it was obvious most of our players do not know what an adult football is. So the result is good enough for us but it doesn't solve our problems.

– Congratulations with qualifying to quarterfinals. Did you analyze different variants suitable for your team? Did you choose an optimal opponent for the quarterfinal?

– I worry first of all about the quality of our game. If we start to guess, probably we won't be able to prepare enough players with good quality. There is a chance to get in unpleasant situation. For example, last year we have played official match with France. By different reasons 7 players were out and I had to play with inexperienced guys. That is why the first aim on this tournament is to gain experience and improve our actions. If we lose today, we will get different team for the next match. What would be changed? For sure I would read something unpleasant about myself in press in that case. But I prefer not to read press at all. It is not important for me. I know my job and do it. The estimation must be done by the final result.

– In some dictionaries your name Saulius from Lithuanian can be translated as "sunny". Does it influence somehow on your desire to train team of Kazakhstan – to get closer to the sun?

– Have you ever been to Kazakhstan this period of a year? There are at about -40 or -50 degrees! Talking seriously, my name can be translated as you have said, and can be not translated at all. For example, Paulius. Both names are from Bible. But the period when I was born was difficult and hard and people didn't think much about the Bible.