Bhoops

Paraguay beat Slovakia 2 nil, Italy drew 1-1 with the team from New Zealand known as the All Whites and Brazil demolished the Ivory Coast 1-1 in the matches that were played today. The national Sunday newspaper, the Sunday Times elicited a response from previous President, international icon and revered South African, Mr. Nelson Mandela to the effect that the soccer team should make magic in their last group game and that all South Africans should continue with their fervent support of the team. Bafana Bafana is due to play France in their final group stage game. At present it looks like Uruguay and Mexico shall qualify from the Group A participants that includes France and South Africa as well. South Africans are rather subdued about the team’s prospects since the 3-0 result at the hands of the Uruguay team. The computations have been spelt out. The team need to score heavily against France and hope that the match involving the Uruguayans and Mexicans ends lopsided with one team out...

The peculiarities associated with any given event are becoming evident in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.  The controversy over the sound made by the vuvuzela had become a talking point well in advance of the tournament. FIFA dropped its threats against banning the vuvuzela during World Cup games prior to the commencement of the tournament. FIFA did however indicate that the vuvuzela would be banned if any of these instruments were thrown in anger or otherwise on the field of play. This was a real threat as soccer games do sometimes descend into poor sportsmanship with the spectators joining into the fray on and off the field. Thus far, the vuvuzela remains part and parcel of this World Cup. If I have to make a prediction, it is likely to become part of many international sporting events in the future. The controversy over the Jabulani ball developed by Adidas shall also become an idiosyncrasy associated with this World Cup. Adidas assured the soccer fraternity tha...