New star shines at Afcon

Bafana's new young hero,Rivaldo Coetzee, was so nervous before the Congo match that he considered asking coach Shakes Mashaba to take him out of the starting line-up.

But the matric pupil kept quiet and instead played a starring role as he became the youngest man to represent South Africa's national football team.

After the match he spoke freely about his anxiety, which increased when Bafana arrived at the ground and partisan Congo fans banged on the team bus.

"I was told I was playing after supper [on Friday night] and was very shocked. I didn't expect it because there are more senior players here, more experienced, and they know Africa well," Coetzee admitted.

"In the team talk the coach just said this is my one chance. I must use it and do what they brought me here to do.

"I did sleep. I wanted to sleep the whole day. I didn't want time to move - I wanted it to stand still because I was very nervous.

"I kept telling myself I think I'm not ready, and maybe I must tell the coach he should take me out."

At 17 years, 11 months and 26 days, Coetzee has eclipsed Aaron Mokoena as the youngest player to represent the national team, starting at centre-back in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying 2-0 win in Pointe-Noire.

The Ajax Cape Town defender did not put a foot wrong, showing calmness far beyond his years and rewarding a remarkably gutsy decision by coach Shakes Mashaba to field him against a hard-running Congo side on a poorly maintained artificial surface and in a hostile atmosphere.

Hailing from Kakamas in the Northern Cape, Coetzee has been a first-team starter for Ajax alongside 19-year-old Abbubaker Mobara this season in what must be one of the youngest centre-back partnerships in the PSL.

"It's very emotional - coming into this game the team knew it would be a war," Coetzee said on Saturday evening in the team hotel.

"But the leadership next to me helped a lot. Especially [Mulomowandau] Mathoho. When he did something good I wanted to do the same, so the combination between us could be as tight as possible.

"The guys told me to play my normal game like I do at training, and everything will be all right."

Bafana were greeted by about 1000 vocal Congolese fans outside Stade Municipal, but Coetzee said: "We were singing in the bus on the way to the stadium and that helped make me calm.

"Seeing all the people driving in, I just thought about all those people back home who would be watching the game, and I couldn't disappoint. I had to put in a good performance.

"It was a relief coming through my debut against a team like Congo. They are on form and were on top of the log."

Meanwhile Mashaba believes there are more rough diamonds like Coetzee to be discovered.