Tomorrow Ghana will try to the impossible: become the first African nation to go to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Two African countries came close, but failed: Cameroon in 1990 (in a thrilling match with England determined by dodgy refereeing) and Senegal in 2002 (against Turkey). But Ghana seems to the real thing. But […]
A short film imagines what if Pele, who can claim to be the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time), scored his final international goal against Argentina, Brazil's greatest rival.
Eduardo Galeano once described Diego Maradona: "... a short-legged bull, [who] carries the ball sewn to his foot and he’s got eyes all over his body."
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL3tRBZv7QA&w=500&h=307&rel=0] South African football fans (well, boosted by corporates) have brought the world the plastic vuvuzelas. There’s one other invention of local football that might catch on: Makarapas, the elaborately decorated construction hard hats that now come in national colors. There’s an interesting history about the origins of makarapas and the man who invented it, […]
[vodpod id=Video.3900482&w=450&h=370&fv=autoPlay%3Dfalse] The Daily Show with Jon Stewart sends “correspondent” John Oliver to Johannesburg to learn “… about the rich African culture at the World Cup.” Brilliant piece. It strikes the right balance between on the one hand, the disdain most fans feel about FIFA, and, on the other, the passion associated with the World […]
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie observes that international soccer allows for “a kind of nationalism that expands as your country loses.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwBlDiObxWA&w=500&h=307&rel=0] BLK JKS representing at the official pre-World Cup concert in Soweto. Remember Tutu dancing in the stands? Mzabalazo. This is for Japan. For organizing on the field, and shutting out the Danes 3-1. — Sean Jacobs
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5hvSTsYTGk&w=500&h=307&rel=0] We’ve been following The Fader’s Pitch Perfect documentary series since the start of the World Cup two weeks ago. In episode 2, The Fader documentary team receives a “short history of SA dance pop” from Johannesburg’s “genre-defying” duo, Dirty Paraffin. I’ve never heard of these guys before but after watching this video, I’m hooked. […]
US writers about soccer beginning to display the same kinds of sports-commenter crypto racism that has been pretty standard issue in Europe for quite a while.
Africa is not just represented by five nations in the World Cup. Its diaspora is also here courtesy of Euro-American and South American squads.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYrSn3pL8Ws&w=500&h=307&rel=0] It’s hard to describe the vibe here. Yes, there’s the unreasonable expectations around the team (captured well by my man Tony Karon on Time magazine’s World Cup blog) and the vuvuzelas may be annoying. But yes you can feel it. It is the World Cup. And away from the big stadiums and the tourist […]
I went to ESPN’s website to check WC scores and was surprised to find two short videos on its soccer homepage commemorating the June 16, 1976 student uprising in Soweto. A day which is now recognized as “Youth Day,” a national holiday. Check them out for yourself:
After watching Bafana Bafana’s close shave against Mexico on TV, my brother, David, and I went off to see France vs Uruguay at the new Cape Town Stadium. In short: imposing, massive structure. We had really good seats. 8 rows back from the field on the halfway line. (We bought tickets made available after cancellations.) […]
I am in South Africa for two weeks to see some games and soak up the atmosphere of the 2010 World Cup. I hope to keep a diary of sorts.
While everybody back home in South Africa today celebrated Vuvuzela Day, the rest of us had to find something else with which to show our support for our local team – like a T-shirt, for example. So thankfully the UK sports chain Decathlon had shirts on sale for those football supporters who really believe that, […]
By the time you read this I’ll be on my way to Cape Town, via Amsterdam. I am looking forward to the World Cup as a fan. I’ve grown very tired of the kind of images and debates circulating about the World Cup here in the US or what travels. (The last straw was a […]
The South African fast food chicken chain Nando’s (which has of late also become very popular in Britain) has always been known for their good adverts. They usually manage to combine a quick-off-the-mark, topical sense of the news with a particularly South African brand of wit and irony. Take for instance their ads featuring Julius […]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH-a_rDH9c8&w=500&h=307&rel=0] The football will be great, we’ll talk tactics and football history all month long, make silly predictions on who’ll win the cup, and the fans will have a good time (though most won’t be able to afford the tickets), but many South Africans know that the benefits from the World Cup to the average […]
Mexican broadcasters are no different from their Euro-American counterparts, in peddling outdated stereotypes about Africa.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPfsM4yBZps&w=500&h=307&rel=0] It will get ridiculous over the next month. For now the price goes to goes to the Australian media company, Optus. This is the concept for the ad, above: “… To prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Australian football team was involved in a secret training camp. Unbeknown to anyone, the team […]