FIFA World Cup 2010 – South Africa

With only a few days to go before the FIFA World Cup opens in Cape Town, South Africa is back in the news – and for reasons (generally) more positive than hitherto. Instead of the stories – all too familiar in recent years – of corruption, ANC infighting, and escalating street crime, there are heartening images of children playing football on dusty township pitches, smiling fans in fright-wigs blowing vuvuzelas – the ubiquitous trumpets, in the yellow and green colours of Bafana Bafana, the S A national team, that are guaranteed to boost noise levels in the stadiums to ear-splitting volumes – and of course, endless pictures and articles about how Fabio Capello’s chosen squad is adapting to life in the Southern Hemisphere.

Even for those with no interest in the Beautiful Game, there is still much to admire – not least the speed and efficiency with which this extraordinary country – juxtaposing as it does Third World poverty and First World mega-wealth – has managed to achieve what seemed to many sceptics unachievable: an African World Cup. The rapid construction of not only the stadiums themselves – of which the (German designed) Green Point stadium in Cape Town is perhaps the most architecturally impressive – but of roads, airports, hotels and all the other infrastructure needed to put on such an event, has seemed a triumphant vindication of FIFA’s decision, four years ago, to hold the tournament here.

Because, after all, international football is about more than ‘just’ sport, isn’t it? It’s about tribal indentities, vying against other tribal indentities – a kind of peaceful warfare. It’s about bringing people from all over the world together. About celebrating physical beauty, and strength, and skill, and (physical and mental) brilliance… Of course, cynics will say it’s all about money, and which team – or rather, country – can afford to spend the most on the best players. The outcome is surely a foregone conclusion… Except that it isn’t. Because sometimes the unexpected happens. A poor country – dare one say, a poor African country – might very well be the one to come up with the most exciting football…

As the soldiers who fought at Isandhlwana could have attested, being the richest and the strongest and the best-equipped doesn’t necessarily spell victory. Even with the benefit of what was arguably the best army in the world at the time, and with a vastly superior firepower, still the British were no match for the Zulus, on that fateful day… Luck played a part, of course, as did the weather. Poor judgement on the part of the commanding officer was another factor. It is to be hoped that Mr Capello in 2010 will prove a better CO than Lord Chelmsford in 1879 – and that Wayne, and John, and Jermain, and Ashley, and Frank, and Steven, and Shaun, and all the other brave lads will prove themselves worthy of their distinguished forbears in the ‘24th’.