All five of the South American representatives in the 2010 World Cup have made it to the second round. (Add to that the 2 North and Central American representatives–Mexico and the USA, and that makes for a very successful tournament thus far for the Americas). My money is still on either Brazil or Argentina to win the whole thing.
As for Africa–on the field at least–this not our World Cup thus far.
Nigeria did not want to win and made elementary mistakes, South Africa failed to put Mexico away and got found out against Uruguay, Cote d’Ivoire was unlucky (they had to overcome a 9 goal difference to overtake Portugal; something which was North Korea’s fault). As for Cameroon, the less said the better. Algeria, after a sloppy start, played well against England short of scoring a goal but could not score against the USA.
That leaves Ghana, The hope of Africa.
Footnote: One thing I noticed while in South Africa last week, apart from the fickleness of South African fans, were the cold reception for African teams.
I can only speak for Cape Town where I traveled last week to see some first round matches–I scored tickets to 3 matches in the end. But local fans have been more inclined to support “traditional powerhouse” teams (i.e. European as well as Argentina and Brazil) first. It may because they were just realistic (hey, I ultimately favor Brazil and Argentina) or it might be a function of television (the English Premier League and European Champions League dominate football broadcasts on local TV) or because the local leagues are badly organized. No problem with those explanations.
But I think there is another reason. It is well known that South Africans display high levels of xenophobia against other Africans. In fact, there is a rumor going around again of renewed attacks against African migrants once the World Cup is over.
South Africans are also uncomfortable about their continental identity. I can’t count how many looks I got for variously wearing a Ghana or Cameroon beenie or jacket in a mall or my Algeria scarf to the latter’s game with England. Oh, and finding paraphernalia of any other African team apart from South Africa proved quite a mission.
EDIT: Oops. Photo Credit: Dundas FC.
– Sean Jacobs
Interesting and sad about the progress of African teams and RSA attitudes to them. Yep, it has not been our World Cup. We have done better before.
Ivory Coast were unlucky, I think, and Nigeria strangely lacking in ambition and nous. RSA did their best. As for Cameroun,… sigh. I think Ghana play well but they have never look like scoring in open play…..Algeria have not been a good side for a while. I wonder how well Egypt would have done if they qualified. They have been the best African side for a decade.
On the xenophobia in RSA I am intrigued. Do people in RSA think they belong elsewhere and just happen to be in the wrong continent? Or is it more complicated. Where does it come from?
I haven’t found the same thing regarding support for African teams–I found the SAans I know are definitely cheering for the other African teams. And I could name at least three stores where you could get African teams’ paraphernalia. (Mike’s Sports on Bree might be the best.)
As for the xenophobic attacks, that seems like the sort of rumor-mongering that you take columnists down for all the time.
That’s an interesting observation Sean, because the U.S. media would have us believe that all of South Africa is firmly behind Ghana right now. Especially after the U.S.’s loss yesterday (of course revving up anti-Ghanian and racist slander from U.S. fans)
I’ve been fairly disillusioned by the other storyline, the constant refrain that Africa as a continent has disappointed, which I hope die down now that Ghana has ousted the Yanks. I guess I’m concerned with the false expectations or representations of Africa and its teams created by the media before the cup. Honestly after skimming several mainstream publications these past few weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that sports writers rarely know what they’re talking about.
If anyone has any suggestions for good sports writers, I’ll gladly take them.
I do dig the Africa United Blog, and should pick up the book. For me, Twitter has been the best place to interact with fans from around the world and in my area. (No one’s talking about Twitter’s first World Cup?!?)
For me the cup is exciting for the small victories and surprises, and throughout the 5 or 6 Cups I’ve been old enough to be conscious of, I’ve learned to never predict too big and that the traditional powerhouses (Arg, Brazil, Germany, etc.) always dominate (and win in the end.)
For me the biggest surprise of this tournament is Europe’s performance. The traditional powerhouses are dropping out leaving the way for the Dutch or the Spanish to make a appearance in the finals which to me is at least refreshing.
Of course I’m all GHANA!
Yo. Nice photo! Ha.
When I was at the Ghana vs Serbia match in Pretoria it certainly seemed like the majority of the locals were really backing the Black Stars.
I know a lot of my friends in Johannesburg have been backing the Black Stars from the start.
I’m going to the Uruguay/Ghana match on Friday and I’m confident that the South Africans in attendance will be full-on backing the only African team left.
I felt the xenophobia towards Nigeria during the first round for sure… Because they are all “gangsters” right?
@ebele: I tried my hands at a more complicated explanation when the anti-xenophobic violence against other black Africans broke out in May 2008:
http://bit.ly/aeA0mj
@Dundasfc: You’re right that Nigerians come in for the most abuse.
@Adrian: Mike’s may be an exception. I trawled stores between the Waterfront (the official FIFA store which had a few things), Rondebosch, Access park, Claremont (including Cavendish) and Kenilworth Center explicitly looking for jerseys, scarves, etc from other African countries. I finally got lucky at a small flower shop (!) in Claremont (run by a coloured woman, mind you) that my brother new about and a Fong Kong store (as the locals say).
Finally, I asked a friend who lives in Cape Town. This was his perceptive reply:
“i perceive an indifference to african stars for certain. i see more ronaldinho jerseys than i see eto’o ones and while i do see a fair amount of support for the big powers, its brazil overwhelmingly. i perceive a color dimension to it as well as a tendency of the poor to support winners. i suspect the idea of brown skinned creolized brazilians (altho many of the current team are dark skinned) is appealing to brown skinned south africans that feel only a tenuous connexion to africa. ”
Having said that, my sense is since Ghana’s round of 16 win (and probable win over Uruguay) locals are coming behind the team.
I also heard it is better in Jozi.
Now to your comment: “As for the xenophobic attacks, that seems like the sort of rumor-mongering that you take columnists down for all the time.”
Actually, this came up a few times and it is not mere rumor-mongering.
Some examples.
My brother–who accompanied me to all the games–and a few other events, say colleagues at his factory talk openly about planned attacks against non-SA black Africans once the World Cup is over.
A friend, an anthropologist, doing research with Angolan migrants in Cape Town told me of two instances where this came up recently: One, was a meeting of refugee/migrant representatives that took place while I was in Cape Town to think about strategies to engage with local community leaders in the townships around these threats.
And secondly, one of her interviewees was told to her face “we’ll get you after the World Cup.”
@Adrian:
And here is a statement released by the Mandela Foundation yesterday:
30 June 2010
Mandela Foundation says South African should show greater appreciation for non-nationals
Foundation hopes 2010 FIFA World CupTM will lead to greater social unity in South Africa
We have a common humanity to share
July 29, 2010 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation is concerned about rumours surfacing that there are negative sentiments arising towards non-nationals in South Africa.
We have seen South Africans unite around a common support for African teams during the 2010 FIFA World CupTM. We hope that this will lead to greater appreciation by South Africans of our place on this continent and that we will show greater solidarity with non-nationals. We have a common humanity to share and in many ways a common economic and social destiny and our Constitution guarantees the rights of all people in South Africa.
As Nelson Mandela once said:
“We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims to the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, through its Dialogue Programme, has since 2009, conducted a series of community conversations throughout South Africa to raise awareness about the rights of all people living in South Africa; to empower communities to find peaceful means of problem-solving and to ensure that community issues are brought to the attention of policy-makers.
Statement issued by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, June 29 2010
@Sean: It wasn’t any better in Jozi. In the middle class suburbs I kept hearing amused contempt at the idea that this was “Africa’s Cup.” The feeling was that only SA had the wherewithal to put this show on and other Africans should not try to hitch a ride on SA’s glory. If anything the impression that I got was that for a lot of middle class black South Africans this event served to show the rest of the world that SA was different from “those other African countries” and anything that appeared to lump SA with the rest of Africa was fiercely and contemptuously dismissed.
In the working class and poor suburb of Alexandria I heard a lot of resentment expressed about how Nigerian and Zimbabwean hawkers were benefiting from an event that was put on using South African money. There was also a feeling that the floodgates had been opened and a lot of people from elsewhere in Africa had been let in for the World Cup and that those people would stay on after the games were over. I overhead several conversations where the speakers felt that they needed to make it clear that after the World Cup was over foreigners from Africa – makwerekwere or “nigerians” as the are invariably called – were not welcome to stay.
I’m afraid the post World Cup “morning after” may not be pretty. The event was sold as an occasion that would benefit SA economically and in terms of how the world perceives it. No economic benefits have materialised, particularly for the poor and working class, and judging from the world Cup ads and the non-football writing there hasn’t been much of a shift in perception. The party is glamourous and successful but in its aftermath the hard and drab everydayness of life may even seem more depressing and unleash the demons that haunt us all.
Now there’s this news of the South African army being deployed in a shack dweller’s community outside Cape Town, the center of xenophobic violence the last time around: http://bit.ly/9xl9P5
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