Looking beyond Brazil

South Africa's Steven Pienaar, left, and MacBeth Sibaya, centre, training in the late evening sun in Johannesburg.

JOHANNESBURG// The strange thing about the Confederations Cup is that it's seldom about the here and now. As South Africa ready themselves to face Brazil in tonight's semi-final, all the talk in the South African camp is not of the opportunity to claim a great scalp and reach the final of the competition, but of how the game will help their preparations for next summer's World Cup.

"We're looking forward to it," said the midfielder Steven Pienaar. "For us it's good experience with a young team and good preparation for the World Cup." Given the weakness of their group, South Africa were widely expected to reach the last four, but their performances have exceeded expectations - particularly given their lack of inspiration in their opening game against Iraq. The return of Pienaar after injury, seems to have lifted them, and after a thoroughly competent victory over New Zealand, they held their own against Spain before fatigue overcame them in the second half.

Siboniso Gaxa has impressed as a marauding right-back, while there is a pleasing balance to the midfield, with Pienaar's imagination complemented by the neat passing of Teko Modise and Kagisho Dikgacoi and the solidity of MacBeth Sibaya. Suspension will cost Sibaya his place against Brazil - although injury would probably have ruled him out anyway - and his experience in tracking Kaka will be missed.

In the longer term, the biggest shortfall would seem to be the lack of an out-and-out centre-forward. Bernard Parker of Red Star Belgrade has taken on the role, but he is not a natural finisher and freely admits he prefers playing off a front man. The obvious solution would seem to be a recall for Blackburn's Benni McCarthy, but a supposed lack of commitment to the national team has cost him his place.

"Benni of course is a good quality striker," said Pienaar. "He's a finisher. He's got his own problems, but I don't want to comment on that: it's between Benni and the coach. We've got Bernard. He's a young player and he's now got the opportunity, and if he plays every game he gets also experience. It's just that he doesn't have a marksman, a No 9, he can play off, so that's our problem at the moment."

The moment, though, doesn't really matter - at least not for now. What is important, as almost everybody at this tournament has stressed, is for a team to isolate their weaknesses and tackle them over the coming year. [e-mail]