By Brendon Hanley Jun 21, 2009, 11:16 GMT
Bloemfontein, South Africa - Though South Africa backed their way into the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup with their 2-0 loss to Spain on Saturday night, the side were clearly deserving of their second-best finish in Group A. This was largely down to a solid defence, which only allowed those two goals in their three matches so far.
The centre of that backline is anchored most famously by Premier League-based captain Aaron Mokoena, but the true rock steady performance thus far for the hosts has been from towering veteran Matthew Booth.
After years in the international wilderness - the 32-year-old has just 23 international appearances despite making his debut in February 1999 - the immensely popular player is now firmly in coach Joel Santana's plans and looks certain to be a key figure at next year's finals.
'He's a very good player in a key position for us,' said the Brazil-born boss after the defeat to Spain. 'He brings a lot of experience and reliability to the team. He's a very nice player.'
After a seven-year stint playing in Russia, most prominently for Krylia Sovetov Samara where he was captain of the side, Booth is now back in the South African league with Mamelodi Sundowns and hoping to stay firmly in Santana's sights.
'Before I went to Russia, I had 15 caps, and then I think it was a bit 'out of sight, out of mind' for the coaches,' he says. 'But now it's just good to be back and at the best time to play in the finals next year.'
Booth's move to Russia came after the biggest disappointment of his career. He had been chosen by coach Jomo Sono to go to the World Cup in Korea and Japan in 2002, but a knee injury on the eve of the event meant he had to miss out.
'That was very tough to take,' he said recently. 'It came at the worst possible time, and it's why I am so determined to make the 2010 team.'
Though his central defensive partner Mokoena had a difficult night against Spain, giving away a penalty in the second half and a free kick that led to the first goal, Booth saved a Fernando Torres shot off the line in the 35th minute and was a consummate destructive force breaking up Spanish attacks.
After the match, Torres called Booth 'difficult' and 'a huge defender,' and Mokoena heaped praise on his teammate.
'It's great playing alongside him because he is so serious and committed,' said South Africa's all-time most-capped player. 'We've been doing well together, and really the whole backline has been performing well.'
Though football has the reputation in South Africa of being a 'black sport,' it's clear that Booth is very popular with the crowd at large. Every time he touches the ball during the match, a chorus of 'Booooooths' rings down like a storm of boooos.
As the only white member of his first club, he long ago earned the nickname 'Felia's Child,' after a popular South African novel that tells the story of a slave family who adopt an abandoned white child.
When asked if there are not more whites in the team because they more traditionally play rugby, Booth dismisses the stereotype.
'That's not true. It's a question of population,' he says emphatically. 'I think two white people on a team of 23 is probably the correct ratio for South Africa. And anyway, it's got nothing to do with skin colour. You get in the team on your merit.'
And on whether the Confederations Cup and next year's World Cup might help bridge the racial gap that for so long plagued South Africa, he says: 'This tournament has been fantastic already for bringing people together.
'It's good to see some new faces in the stadiums, and the atmosphere has been great. It's been very helpful to feel like we have people behind us,' he says.
South Africa's likely opponents in their Thursday semi-final are Brazil, but they might also meet Italy or Egypt in Johannesburg.
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