Mexico are no World Cup minnows

HOME. Two days to go and here I go… an opening salvo!? I blog therefore I am… not exactly. I will dispense with a blogger’s manifesto. Simply, what I seek to create here is space to talk about this beautiful African World Cup.

South Africa is my home.

I’m excited. The atmosphere is electric! For, it is under the Africa skies where I lay my weary head at the end of the day and in the mornings where I rise to the fresh, cool, Highveld air.

I love living in South Africa. I love football. A footie ‘player’ for over 30 years, today more than anything I am simply a fanatic!

Poverty, corruption, neo-colonialism and the erosion of the rule of law remain the scourges that we fight against.

Will the arrival of the World Cup on African shores do anything to eradicate these evils?

I think not. In fact, indications are that the stench of corruption is not far off when it comes to the allocation of World Cup tenders.

Further, the indemnity agreements signed by the South Africa government immunizing FIFA from litigation - even limiting free speech rights to protest during the tournament - makes one question whether this World Cup proceeds from a vantage point of impunity and neo-colonial profiteering.

As for poverty alleviation, let’s not begin to think about the housing and sanitation investments that could have been made as opposed to fruitless billions for stadia – some of which, particularly in Nelspruit and Polokwane, will soon become white elephants soon after the Elephants of Ivory Coast have rumbled on home. As for the repatriation of World Cup profits to FIFA headquarters in Switzerland, the story slowly unfolds.

The socio-political flavour will never be far away from the comments herein, but the fanatic in me can’t help from getting carried away about the Beautiful Game and anticipation about the feeling that will come from arriving in Soweto on Friday June, 11, 2010, Soccer City, for Bafana Bafana v Mexico.

Its difficult to find a more auspicious opponent for Bafana Bafana than Mexico for this opening match. Mexico, the land of the Aztecs is home to so much footballing history. Hosts in 1986 to the infamous ‘hand of god’ goal from Diego Armando Maradona and of course, 1970, the year of my birth, and Pele’s team of the century. Mexico are no World Cup minnows.

Having recently beaten Italy handily in warm up friendly last week, one has to fancy the Mexicans to present Bafana Bafana with more than a friendly wave.

While anti-nationalism remains at my core (more to come on this contradiction), for the nation, for the continent, for the tournament and for my fellow South African fans, let’s hope Bafana Bafana can light a spark under this tournament and ensure that this is a World Cup of dreams and not another Marco Matterazzi, anti-footballing nightmare!