Blue Samurais tame Jabulani, as Italians at last, finally, not even quarterfinally, 'get' No Country For Old Men

HOME. Yesterday marked the most dramatic result yet in this 2010 World Cup, as Slovakia knocked out the holders who fly home disgraced without recording a win. 

While not physically present at Ellis Park, across town from Sunninghill, on a fresh but sunny afternoon, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Italy sent packing from the comfort of my HD living room.

As we previously witnessed this past Sunday in Nelspruit when the All Whites held Italy, there was a significant lack of impetus in the lacklustre Italian play that only really started having a go in the last 15 minutes.

Black Stars Fight On; Rooney's Free Rolls to Amuse or Bemuse Germans?

JOHANNESBURG. Soccer City was the venue for last night’s stark contrast in footballing cultures. 

The Black Stars of Ghana, who I picked early as my sentimental team for this tournament, versus one of the World Cup’s all time giants, those heart-breaking, make you cry, Germans. 

The Ghanaian fans were decked out in an almost rasta red, gold and green and their contingent included a brass band (close to where I was directed to sit in the upper tier) doing their best, along with a few West African drummers to compete with the vuvuzelas.

Ghana even appeared to have muti men and women with big cauldrons with some strange brew, going from corner flag to flag across the vast Soccer City cathedral doing their best to try and unsettle the Germans. One wonders if a fully Africanised Bafana Bafana, with a South African coach, can in future call upon the local sangomas for more assistance.

The Germans by contrast cast a different image all together on the evening including what we witnessed as the first signs of crowd trouble and hooligan activity as they faced off against the South African Police Services riot squad during the match. A certain section of the German brigade, seated close to the ground by the one corner flag, refused to sit down prompting spats with local fans. As the riot police sought to intervene, the atmosphere grew more tense with abuse and insults hurled by some sections of the Germans fans towards the police. The police had to forcibly remove at least one German fan and had to retreat and regroup to quell further unrest.

These ugly scenes which are the first we have witnessed after 13 match days and having visited 8 venues of the 10 venues thus far, are worrying as we await Sunday’s clash in Bloemfontein between Germany and England. One hopes that the security detail for tournament which thus far have been given an easy ride anticipated a German v England clash at some stage in the competition and have a plan in place for Bloemfontein. Based upon our recent visit to Bloem, one wonders how the authorities will be able to keep German and English fans separated at the Waterfront Mall in the centre of town, adjacent to the stadium, where fans congregate prior to kick off.

Yesterday’s afternoon kick offs however started off in a more serene fashion at Six Cocktail Bar in Melville for the highly anticipated England v. Slovenia clash. 

At the start of the tournament it was hard to imagine England not having enough to get out of this relatively soft group. With Capello shuffling his pack yet again to insert some pace up front with Jermain Defoe and a more free role for Rooney, a la Messi for Argentina, England looked more convincing going forward and were good value for their one goal.

South Africa beat France 2-1, Go out of the World Cup on Goal Difference

BLOEMFONTEIN. Yesterday was a monumental day in the history of South African football as they defeated France in Africa’s first World Cup ensuring they finished the group stage on 4 points: one win, one loss and one draw. 

This is the same number of points that Mexico finishes on having been beaten yesterday by group winners Uruguay who finish as group winners on 7 points.

Mexico’s superior goal difference ensures they go through to the knock out rounds as second in group at Bafana’s expense setting up a mouth-watering round of 16 clash with Group B winner’s Argentina at Soccer City on Sunday. 

South Africa, despite beating France and drawing with Mexico in the opening match go out of the tournament largely due to their heavy defeat by Uruguay on June 16th.

South Africa becomes the first host nation to fail to qualify for the knock out round of the World Cup. When Bafana Bafana set their target at the start of this World Cup, having qualified automatically as hosts, their goal was to qualify for the knock out round. 

Ronaldo Gets One Into The Back Of The Neck

BLOEMFONTEIN. Its beautiful to be in Bloemfontein. You can already hear the music on the streets from the local Bloemfontein Celtic Supporters, clad in green and gold today as opposed to their normal green hoops.

They are blaring music from massive speakers on an open top double-decker bus outside our office.

There can be no doubt, Bloemfontein has the best soccer supporters in South Africa! They know their way around a vuvuzela, but also know the power of voice, song and dance. Keep your eyes on the stands this afternoon.

Today Bafana Bafana, win or lose, will be serenaded and its going to be special. Perhaps my biggest gripe with the vuvuzela is that it can stifle other forms of mass expression at the match – whether it be chanting, or simply the ooohs and aaahs of the crowd at those critical moments.

Today is a day of song and the world will fully understand why South Africa is an exceptional place and a rightful 2010 host. Song has always played a critical role in the South African liberation struggle.

For any interested in exploring this issue further, you will be hard pressed to do better than watching Lee Hirsch’s brilliant 2003 documentary Amandla: A Revolution in Four Part Harmony. At a minimum, see if you can get your hands on the soundtrack. 

Up Close and Personal with Middle American Irony

ALL OVER THE SHOW. Match Day 10 has come and gone, so too has the second weekend of the tournament, and apparently so too the French. Quelle horror! What a mess!

But first, what a weekend. It started on a Friday evening at Moyo in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg to watch the abject English against the spirited Algerians from Greenpoint on the big screens. 

Abject is a word which has surprising emerged on numerous occasions herein.

You will find it on page two of your English dictionary. According to Oxford it means: ‘1. Terrible and without hope or 2. Without any pride or respect for self.’ An unsettled goalkeeping situation, no left sided midfielder, no reliable partner for Rooney and a centre midfield pairing of Gerrard and Lampard that has never produced the goods. One speculates if Lampard and Gerrard really hate each other and whether their rivalry to be the dominant attacking English midfielder of their generation is at the heart of their dysfunctional relationship? I think they need counselling and Dom Fabio is not the right therapist.