2010 Boys Youth African Nations Championship: The host South Africa down with bad performance
The 2010 Boys Youth African Nations Championship is on a go in the South African City Cape Town. It is a five-nation venture and host South Africa is also playing with the group of young boys. South Africa has huge fan following and volleyball is played
in every nook and corner of the country. Although the fans are thrilled by the fact that the great event has graced their country, unfortunately home-ground team is down with bad performance.
The S.A. team opened the tournament with a defeat, while playing their first match against Morocco. They clashed with Tunisia in second match but failed to avail the second chance. The enthusiastic supporters of South African team didn’t get a chance to
celebrate the success of their team. In fact the second match against Tunisia was too heavy for S.A. Tunisia is defending the African Title this year and is enjoying the good form in tournament. They displayed great courage to defeat South Africa in front
of the local crowd who backed-up their team by constant cheering and singing. The fans who were dressed up in North-African outfits blew the vuvuzela and added a different flavour in the game. Tunisian players stayed focused on target and didn’t take pressure
of the situation.
Tunisia descended the court with their guns loaded. They played sensibly and quickly grabbed a lead of 18-11 in first set. The tricky bump passes by the Tunisian setters and spikers’ good work further separated the teams on points. South Africa brought in
their best attackers, Miles Thompson and Dean Layter who started the hunt for points. They changed the rhythm of the game and hit better shots but Tunisia had the therapy for them. The Tunisian blockers frustrated South African players, as they dismissed most
of their attack attempts. Tunisia was ahead in the points’ run and they secured the first set by hitting 25-17 on the scoreboard.
South Africa was dragged under immense pressure. They already had the loss of one game in previous match and they wanted to bring their pride back in the game. The fear lurked on their shoulders, as they lost their grip on ball in first set. It was obviously
not a good start for them. Somehow, they planned healthier approach in the second set. On the other hand, the rampant attacking machine Tunisia tightened the screws and put more pressure on South-African side. The home-grown lads refused to roll-back and reacted
violently to stop Tunisian score.
Despite of their great fight and fans’ support, S. Africans remained un-successful and couldn’t shake off the bad impression. Tunisia continued with success and extended their lead. The skipper Layter was very active in his shoes but he couldn’t help the
team score. The South-African team lost the second set with a margin of 15 points. The Tunisian playmaker Khaled Ben Slimene was the most applauded player in second set.
SA team was in deep trouble after losing first two sets. Tunisia had the bright prospects to win the game by keeping opposite team under their rule. The South Africans worked on their player combinations in third set. The attack and defence both sides needed
much attention. Tunisia played the game in their usual style and built a lead of 16-11 at the second technical timeout (TTO). The defending champion was equipped with good blockers and fast attackers who proved to be the main force.
In the latter half of third set, South Africa suffered from bad serves. They seemed to have lost energy and exhibited a hefty play. Third set ended at 25-17 and Tunisia declared match-victory over South Africa.
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