Left or right, the foot no

| Friday July 13, 2012 00:00

 

Whether a player is left or right footed matters little in modern football as evidently, soccer has evolved from the days when teams used to play with a sweeper, the traditional number five or the box striker (number nine).Players' roles are no longer defined by the foot they use; instead, tactics have overtaken positions.When the Zebras played South Africa recently, coach Stanley Tshosane played Musa Ohilwe on the left, leaving out two left footed players, Edwin Olerile and Otse Ntesa. Lemponye Tshireletso has featured prominently on the right wing for the Zebras although he predominantly uses his right foot.

In fact back in the day, it was considered fielding a player out of position. But as Tshosane explains, the nature of the game dictates what player is needed for a certain position and not how they kick.'If you look at it, most teams these days use wing play to bring in crosses. One might prefer a right-footed player on the left to confuse the opposition and get that edge. A right footed player on the left first has to cut in before making a cross, which is a huge advantage as it gives the player plenty of options when he is facing the goal,' Tshosane says. However, Tshosane notes there are some players who use both feet, like Ohilwe and Phenyo Mongala, who both effectively drive the ball with both feet and can therefore be deployed anywhere.

Tshosane, Botswana's first coach to take the senior national team to the AFCON finals, said the 'geography' of the pitch is critical in allocating positions. 'You see, its easy for a left footed central defender to switch a pass to the far right, while a right footer might need to turn first or bring the ball to his favoured foot first,' he says.The demise of the full back (sweeper) is also attributed to fast changing football tactics, with most teams preferring a flat four or three at the back. Tshosane says coaches are now influenced by tactical changes opponents make during the game. It is therefore hardly surprising that teams switch formations several times during a game.The Zebras often prefer a relatively rigid 4-5-1 formation which seeks to muzzle opponents in the middle and at the same time give protection to the back four. But once the opponent scores, Tshosane usually throws more men upfront except the formation remains 4-5-1 with more attacking options.

At South African football club, Orlando Pirates, Lucky Lekgwathi,who is heavily dependent on his right foot, has been forced to play at left back and still does a decent job. Bafana Bafana's holding midfielder, Thanduyise Khuboni, is naturally left footed, but commands his area well, occasionally having to adjust his body to direct passes with his favoured foot. Conservative teams have preferred placing a right footed player in the holding midfielder's position, with the Zebras also sticking to the same formula. Patrick Motsepe, Ofentse Nato, Mogogi Gabonamong and Boitumelo Mafoko are all right footed.

It is in the advanced midfield role, or the attacking midfield, that has seen the emergence of left footed players of note. Simphiwe Tshabalala,former Zebras' Masego Nchingane and former Juventus maestro, Edgar Davids are some of the left footed players to excel coming from the midfield, while in the past such players would have been restricted to the left, wide side of the pitch.Despite having defenders in their familiar positions, Chelsea was caught flat while trying to implement the high back line last season during Andre Villas-Boas' era as they were left vulnerable.  Here at home, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, with their right and left footed defenders deployed in familiar positions, have been the perfect architects. The team has two right-footed players, Pontsho Moloi and Joel Mogorosi, who alternate on the left wing- to a devastating effect. This is very much the same way Bayern Munich's Dutch midfielder, Arjen Robben operates on the right but is left footed.

Championship winning coach, Madinda Ndlovu, says the coach's philosophy influences where a player is fielded: 'I field a player looking at where he is most effective, which is why Mogorosi and Moloi have done well. Football changes, formations or tactics are no longer cast in stone. It is no longer about what you learnt as a coach, which was mostly about defending and attacking. These days it's situational-you defend when there is a need to,' says Ndlovu, a right footed winger during his playing days.

The transition has meant that the number of players on the field are not restricted by their 'foot abilities.' In the past, most teams had two left footed players as numbers three and eleven. While there has been a 'foot evolution,' there are still few left footed players trusted with the target man or central striker's position. Liverpool forward, Andy Carroll remains one of the few left footed players with the responsibility of leading the frontline.GU caretaker coach, Philemon Makhwengwe, who is also the Botswana Football Association (BFA) technical officer, believes there is a shortage of left footers, which necessitates the conversion of a righted footed player to left position.'The problem emanates from the development side. We are not doing enough research. There is no link between performance and development. If you know that Viola (Nelson Gabolwelwe) is retiring, why don't you groom his replacement? That has to do with development. Left footers are very scarce, which is a national problem,' he said.