“Mzansi for sure!”

Night lights at the South African National Stadium, The Calabash, June 2010.

Watching the semi final of the AFCON 2013 (I won’t risk trying to write it out), I am impressed by the elegance of the Moses Mabida stadium.  It makes me proud to be South African, a small consolation to our early exit from the tournament.  And yes, it was an early exit.  The plan was to make the journey the trophy had to travel minimal, non-existent, from the field of the FNB stadium, to the trophy cabinet of the National Stadium.  This did not happen,

thanks to the stubbornness of football players from a landlocked, west African country, in the middle of the desert, that is currently experiencing war.  Their claim to fame, a seven hundred year old desert town, with even older pieces of paper, that were restored and kept safe by the government of, guess who … South Africa of course!  How dare they not miss their penalties after all we had done for them!  We helped in keeping their cultural heritage safe; we even sent troops to help them quell the unrest in the north of the country, hell, we let them play football in our back yard!  A finely manicured backyard, what must seem like a regular Garden of Eden to the desert dwellers.  Then they go on to embarrass us with a dramatic four one loss to their West African neighbours.  It’s embarrassing because technically this means Bafana Bafana would have lost by a greater margin.  Which we all know is not true; Gordon Igesund and the green and gold ninjas were on point!  We would’ve definitely made it to the final and gone on to win it.  Katlego Mphela and Bernard Parker had not yet made their mark, Sphiwe Tshabalala had not really played and Dean Furman, the team’s true revelation for me, was hotter than hot!  Especially his midfield combination with Reneilwe “Yeye” Letsholonyane, this Bafana Bafana team is exciting to watch and I am convinced what we saw in this tournament was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  Mr Igesund and his boys have the ability to go far in the FIFA world cup coming up in Brazil next year.  Perhaps it’s just my blind patriotism, but I believe we can win it!  Yes, South Africa can win the football world cup!!  I digress.  As I said, the disappointment of being knocked out of the tournament was cured by the visual spectacle that is South Africa’s stadia, the ease and skill with which my country could put on such a great show, the class with which we took on our role as hosts.  This is not to mention the excellent television coverage, both free and paid.  How many other African countries could do the same, in such a short space of time?  Not many, if any.  In fact, how many countries around the world could do what we have done? Once again, there are not many.  To me, it is similar to the rich suburban kid inviting the gardener’s son (who is just waiting for his father to finish work on a Friday afterschool or something) to come play on his Sony PlayStation and being beat by said gardener’s son.  It stings a bit, to be beaten in my mother’s lounge, on my own console, by a relative stranger. Still, you have to go home to your squatter camp shack while I jump on my trampoline, into the Olympic sized pool … in my backyard.  HA!! It goes without saying that congratulations are in order for all those involved in the putting together of the AFCON 2013, all those who took part (yes, even the desert dwellers) and most importantly those who came out in their thousands to support their teams and cities.  This is truly the greatest place on earth, South Africa! We are indeed, the beat at Africa’s feet.  Now for the surprise cup final on Saturday, all the best to both teams … enjoy our beautiful country while you’re here and please do not overstay your welcome. ;)

Regards,

Blind Patriot