Trying to write a blog here in South Africa or keep up-to-date on the internet with the tournament or who is our Prime Minister these days back home has been an interesting exercise. Day to day at our haphazard hostel, no one really knows if the internet will work or when it will drop out. Nor do we know when the driver will pitch, when the hot water will run out or how long it will take to get back from a game.
Let’s just see how it goes. I’m sure it’ll be fine, man. Be cool.
In a way, it seems to be the African mentality – a bit chaotic, disorganised and erratic.
In a competition where five of the six African teams have bowed out, despite reeking of talent, physical prowess and technical gifts in a tournament on their own continent, they might come to rue the similarly shambolic organisation that riddled their campaigns.
Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon made hasty, last minute coaching changes, bringing in high profile, but middle rank, conservative European coaches. Were Lars Langerback, Sven Goran Erikson and Paul le Guen really going to successfully infuse their tactical ideas with their team’s natural physicality, flair and desire to run and attack – at such short notice?
It was a combustible combination.
Langerback was panned by fans for his conservatism with Nigeria, especially for leaving Obafemi Martins on the bench, Paul de Guen disastrously isolated Samuel Eto’o on the right for Cameroon and while Erikson got an unlucky draw with Ivory Coast and had little time to change things up, they never really went for it in the crucial tie with Portugal. Africa mourned the performance of Nigeria and Cameroon, especially.
Bafana Bafana, meanwhile, excelled, but were being driven through Sandton on an open top bus in front of 180,000 fans the day before their opening game, while having to deal with the expulsion of Benny McCarthy, one of their highest profile players, in the lead up to the tournament.
It felt like the African nations believed they had a divine right. Let’s leave it to the lap of the gods. We are the host continent. The host country never gets knocked out. We will all be fine.
In the end, Africa has been the biggest disappointment in a tournament where success has been spread around the globe. Until their governing bodies get their act together, it will probably remain as such.
Algeria was the unlucky exception. They defended quite well against three good sides and were quite well organised.
The united support behind the African countries has been touching. Vuvuzelas ramp up when one of the continental brothers is on show; the newspapers and radio hype up; the crowd milling outside the stadium has an extra kick in its step.
Now, everyone is united behind the one cause. Ghana. And the draw might have opened up quite nicely.
Their pulsating match against the USA shows what might be if these African sides play like Africans – not like Africans trying to listen to a European manager.
The Ghanaians ran with energy, went toe to toe with the Americans physically and played whatever forward pass they felt was on. Both their goals were direct, embracing their quick, strong, technical players. What a game it was.
The continent and most neutrals here are behind Ghana. They might be a handy bet for a semi-final place.
Going by tonight’s showing, they’ve got more than a divine right on their side.
