Algeria surrender points to Belgium 2-1 in 2014 Fifa World Cup

Belgium played possessional but sterile football as they stroked the ball around without any meaningful penetration. Algeria kept a very compact shape, employing all men behind the ball. They retreated into a cocoon stationed behind the centre line. They shifted across screening the ball to the wide positions but in front of them. Their midfielders formed a formidable wall as a first line of defence, with the defenders sweeping behind for each midfielder. They only engaged when the ball was being passed between Belgians, moving in very quickly to bite.

Instead of the consisted pressure in the opponents’ half, the Europeans held the key to unlock their way to victory. All they needed to do is to create space behind the Africans’ defence and go wide around the wings for crosses. This could easily be achieved by playing the ball in their own half and invite Algeria to move out of their good defending positions and then go around the defence. Algeria depended on counter attacks.

Winning the ball around the centre circle, they placed a pass in the left pocket and delivered a pinpoint cross by Ghoulam that eluded the two central defenders and bounced in the penalty box. Vertonghen tracked Feghouli’s run on the far post and bungled the Algerian from the back. The referee awarded a penalty kick and yellow carded the Belgian. The Algerian rose, dusted himself and calmly beat the giant Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois who dived the wrong way.

The second half saw the Algerians alter their tactics to suit the Belgian football. They moved their engagement line a little up field, opening a reasonable gap between the goalkeeper and the defence. The Europeans did not make much use of the space, though they seemed to find their mojo as their rhythm became more fluid. That window of opportunity vanished for a moment as they failed to recognise and use the possible fatal tactical weakness.

Algeria could have regrouped and retained their compactness reducing spaces between the defenders and between each unit (defence, midfield and attack). The contraction could frustrate the Belgians even more as they resorted to committing fouls and playing long balls from midfield down the flanks. One such long ball got to a crossing position and Manchester United’s Fellaini met the cross with precision to beat Rais M’Bolhi for the equaliser.  

Until then, M’Bolhi, the Algerian goalkeeper had many shot-stopping sessions, only efficiently dealing with a real threat from substitute Divock Origi. After the equaliser, the Algerian orientation was out of the window. They panicked and opened more spaces at the back and became extremely vulnerable.

To their detriment, they lost possession in the attacking area hoping for a free kick. Hazard raced half the pitch and picked the intelligent run of Mertens on the right in a three versus two situation. The substitute met and controlled the ball and finished with a ferocious shot to the roof of the net. Thenceforth, Algeria had fewer men behind the ball while Belgium found all the gaps to play the ball and run into.

After all the first time trouble, it became all so easy in the end for the star-studded Belgium side that fielded Dembele, Vertonghen, Lukaku, Kompany, Chadli, Witsel, and still had the luxury of Origi, Januzaj. Mignolet and Fellaini among many on the bench. It must be said that the Algerians had control of the match but threw it away.

Highlanders and local football must learn

As Liverpool face Tottenham Hotspur today, many see it as a Luiz Suarez versus Gareth Bale, the same way it becomes a Messi v Ronaldo in La Liga El Classico. The inconsistent Liverpool can beat anybody but Spurs are buoyed by incredible performances that have made the world stop and watch, in most cases, Bale.

Statistically, it is with good reason given how Bale scored incredible goals of high importance. Suarez for Liverpool has been a revelation for comparably the same reason, but in this fixture and in all Spurs performances, if one watches football, there is one man of incredible quality and work-rate.

In the whole league, I can only think of his rival as one Yaya Toure but only just. This top-class performer is Mousa Dembele. Bale's individual brilliance is God-given, but the tactical freedom permitting his versatile escapades are a result of the solidity provided by the Belgian. You may have noticed that by now, and if not, take note.

The Orlando Pirates visit to Kaizer Chiefs at the National Stadium (FNB/Soccer City) will be beamed to over a 110 million homes this afternoon. This takes both brands around the world and soon other planets will be interested. It is the work of the clubs, Supersport and the ABSA Premier League marketing ventures that have seen this product in demand or marketed this well.

Pirates need the points much more than Chiefs but their recent form has been questionable as to whether the quest to retain the title is feat achievable. For the neutrals, that is not even important and that is right. I do not want to dwell on the possibilities there but rather admire the abilities of the people from whom neighbouring country leagues could copy and paste.

Highlanders Football Club of Zimbabwe particularly need to take notes. Not all the money generated will be banked by Chiefs as the home team, nor be shared between them and Pirates. There is an individual making a killing as a man. The process, contrary to Bosso beliefs, is not milking. It is called 'busibess'.

Highlanders are perennially broke and have been beggars for time immemorial. They spend most of the time negotiating the structuring of payment or scrapping the bills with debtors. Many years back, we suggested that they engage money-hungry and success-loving people with a strong business acumen to harness the small potential the brand 'Highlander - Bosso' has.

Many of us have tried to approach the club Executive committee with ideas requiring no input from the club, team, players or leadership. The negative responses were that people wanted to take advantage of the club. That is very true and that is exactly business. If a man used Highlanders name to make $10, it surely cost over $7 to make that $10 anywhere in the world, whatever the product. Sharing the remaining $3 with Highlanders on a 50-50 basis is no robbery and that is exactly what the club does not understand.

The Highlanders Executive committee wanted the whole $10 banked in their coffers, a comical understanding of the business mind. Nothing works that way in the world and the 50-50 is the extreme best. The astute businessmen would come up with deals whereby the club benefited 50 cents out of the $3 profit considering the running costs of a business empire. That one enriches himself by banking as much as the team at $1,50 is being naive.

Now, Bosso is not getting $1.50 per item of anything anywhere. They could be getting 10, 100 or 1000 of those, or 10000, a 100000 or even 1000000 from many sources. That should be irrespective of what the source is getting, but in known cases, that has been made clear but the born of contention has always been that people wanted to enrich themselves using the club name.

I would be a billionaire and make Bosso a millionaire and if that is bad, let the woes continue.