As Bafana Bafana gear up to face Panama, we look back at the infamous 2005 clash that cost South Africa a semi-final spot—and our reporter a trip to New York! Ricardo Katza opens up about that missed penalty. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
The memory haunted me for a good two decades. Only last year when I got to speak to Ricardo Katza about it did I finally put it to rest, to let go of a grudge.
It is a memory of a missed opportunity. A missed trip, actually — a trip to New York City, the Big Apple.
As we anticipate Bafana Bafana’s two international friendly matches against Panama, I am reminded of the only encounter between the two countries, a match played way back in 2005 out in the United States during the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
It ended 5-3 in favour of Panama following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes plus the half-hour of extra time, a result that ensured Stuart Baxter’s Bafana were knocked out at the quarter-final stage. Lungisani Ndlela had equalised for South Africa after Jorge Dely Valdes had given the Central Americans the lead and either side could have won the match thereafter.
Katza, captain of the squad regarded by most as the C-team because the main players had not travelled, missed Bafana’s fourth penalty after everyone else had converted theirs and Gabriel Gomez fired home the winner.
We were in Houston having initially been in Los Angeles. But the semi-finals were scheduled for New York and I excitedly anticipated going to the city of the yellow taxi. Katza robbed me of that and I took it pretty personally.
I remember even thinking to myself, why did they allow a defender to take the kick — the fact the SuperSport United skipper had converted many penalties for his team notwithstanding.
In our interview last year, Katza was candid as we reflected on that match, explaining that he understood the anger at him for the missed kick from the penalty spot. But he feels he could have ensured there were no kicks at all in the first place.
“I was more upset with myself for not taking the shot during the game when I was just outside the box. If I took the shot I was gonna score because the goalkeeper was on the other side. But then I somehow passed the ball and the game ended 1-1 when I should have scored what could have been the winner.”
And what about that missed penalty?
“It was the first time I changed the side I took my penalties to,” Katza lamented. “I usually go to the keeper’s right but that day I decided to go to the left this time and the keeper saved it.
"Honestly, I don’t know why I changed and that was disappointing. I knew I was going to be hammered for that miss and as I ran back to the centre, I looked up to the skies and said ‘thank you God’ because I knew I could handle what was coming.”
Panama will not be meeting a Bafana C-team this time around though, but an A-side teeming with players eager to impress coach Hugo Broos as they seek to secure their tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It is bound to be two fascinating matches with the Central Americans also using this match to get themselves ready for a clash with Ghana’s Black Stars at the global stage.
Here’s to hoping Bafana win both matches to help fully erase my memory of missing out on the trip to New York thanks to Ricardo Katza missing that spot-kick during that July 2005 clash with Panama at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.