Is the vuvuzela about to be banned? One can only hope so. The ubiquitous plastic horns have been the soundtrack to this World Cup, drowning out every other attempt at singing, chanting and music. Nigeria has a fantastic brass band. The only reason I know they were at Ellis Park on Saturday was because I [...]
With one lash of his left foot, Siphiwe Tshabala set this World Cup alight. His 55th minute strike, which gave South Africa the lead against Mexico, was all the more surprising because the hosts had done little until then to excite the vuvuzela-blowing 85,000-strong crowd. It may have ended in a draw but South Africa [...]
So wrote Ryszard Kapuscinski in the introduction to ‘Shadow of the Sun’, still one of the best books written by a foreigner about Africa. He is describing Ghana in 1958, but the image he conjures of an Africa bathed in sunlight is still one that springs to mind whenever most people think about the continent. [...]
Of all the matches at the World Cup, South Korea against Greece is arguably the least exciting prospect. But it is the match that will mean the most for Danny Jordaan, the man responsible for organising the tournament. It is the first to take place at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, the [...]
Not all South Africans have been supportive of the decision to grant their country the right to host next month’s World Cup. This advert for FNB, a major South African bank, aired in 2006. The fiercest criticism has come from white South Africans, something this advert directly addresses. Note how the white critic says “they” [...]
All 32 countries at the World Cup have this week announced their 30-man provisional squads for next month’s tournament. The coaches have until 1st June to pick their final 23. Algeria, drawn against England, USA and Slovenia, include seven home-based players in their squad but they will rely on those playing in Europe, in particular Portsmouth’s [...]
As I’ve mentioned before, Cameroon’s World Cup exploits in 1990 changed the way the rest of the world viewed African football. Their victory over World Cup holders Argentina and the goals that Roger Milla scored against Romania and Colombia are not easily forgotten. But talking to friends I’ve realised how few people seem to remember [...]
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