SA’s UNDER-23 side got a bitter taste of what they can expect at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August after they were thumped 4-1 by hosts Japan in a friendly played in Matsumoto on Wednesday.
SA took the lead through another Gift Motupa penalty, but three goals in the final 15 minutes of the first half turned the fixture in favour of the hosts. They grabbed a fourth goal in the second period to complete the rout, but might have had even more.
Defensive errors costs the South Africans as they got a sobering reminder that Saturday’s victory in the Cosafa Cup means little when competing against top teams from the rest of the globe.
There is therefore still much work to be done ahead of their Olympic Games opener against Brazil on August 4, which will be followed by difficult ties against Denmark and Iraq.
Coach Owen da Gama kept the same back four that did duty in the Cosafa Cup final against Botswana, but handed a start to goalkeeper Jody February ahead of Reyaad Pieterse.
And further up the pitch it was all change as Mothobi Mvala, Deolin Mekoa and Thapelo Morena all came into the starting line-up.
After a goalless opening half-hour, SA were gifted the chance to take the lead when Japanese defender Masashi Kamekawa handled the ball in the penalty area.
Orlando Pirates man Motupa made no mistake to score his fourth goal in three games for the side.
However, the hosts equalised seven minutes later, with good work by Ryota Oshima providing an open goal for forward Shoya Nakajima.
The South African defence was then torn to pieces regularly and it was no surprise when another slick move from the Japanese allowed Sei Muroya to cross low for Shinya Yajima to score.
After coughing up possession cheaply, SA then conceded a third just before half-time when Takuma Asano’s cross was met by the head of Nakajima for his second.
It got worse just a few minutes into the second period when Asano this time finished a fine move.
The South Africans managed to keep their hosts at bay after that, but they battled throughout with the pace and technical ability of Japan.