South Africa
Hosts of the 2010 World Cup, South Africa was banned from international football by FIFA from 1966 to 1990. After the ban was lifted, their first ever World Cup appearance came in 1998 where they made their exit after they failed to progress to the next round. Their result in their next two appearances wasn’t much different either, they failed to go beyond the first round in 2002 and 2010.
Their biggest international success came when they took the trophy home in the 1996 African Cup of Nations. They were runners up in 1998 and third position holders in 2000. Also, they secured fourth place in the 2009 Confederations Cup.
World Focus: South African Premier Soccer League
After the passion and enthusiasm shown by South African natives in the recent World Cup, this year’s ADSA Premier Soccer League is bound to be the most followed and exciting domestic contest the African coast has seen for years. Following a diverse positioning during the past few years, ranging from second to ninth, Mamelodi Sundowns…
Tottenham signing Bongani Khumalo aims for starting berth
Bongani Khumalo, a South African international and 23 year old central defender, has signed £1.5m to move to Tottenham in the January transfer window (subject to receiving a work permit. Bongani is currently playing with SuperSport United in the domestic South African football league, and played every World Cup match for South Africa during the…
FIFA Finally Break In The Battle Over Goal-Line Technology
It would finally appear that FIFA, an organisation which prides itself on it’s self-preserving atavism and sub-glacial rates of progression, have finally accepted that – in these heady days of horseless carts and silver flying machines – it is now time to embrace the notion of goal-line technology. After the World Cup in South Africa…
South Africa May Be Bullied Out Of ‘Bafana Bafana’ Nickname
Due to an ongoing copyright dispute, the South African national football team may be forced to drop the Bafana Bafana (which translates as ‘the boys, the boys’ in Zulu) moniker that has become so instantly familiar right across the globe following the World Cup. The rights to the nickname were acquired by a South African…
World Cup News: Spain Are The Campeones Del Mundo!
Good morning everyone and welcome to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens. Spain are deserved campeones del mundo, Andres Iniesta is officially better than Xavi for the foreseeable future and the carnival is over for another 1432 days. Roll on Brazil 2014! Here’s your round-up… (If you would like to subscribe to this column …
Mandela Family Unhappy With FIFA Pressure
After speculation to the contrary, South African icon Nelson Mandela did attend the World Cup final last night. However, it would appear that the 92-year-old, who is still mourning the tragic loss of his granddaughter and reported to be in ill-health, was heavily pressured by tournament organisers FIFA to make an appearance at the showpiece…
World Cup 2010……What A Load Of Balls!
So here we are….2 weeks and 48 games into South Africa 2010 and if I had to sum up the World Cup so far I’d say it has been nothing but a load of balls! Or to be more specific…..a load of Jabulanis! Yes, I realize that this has been debated to death but the…
World Cup Podcast: Foreign gaffers, Uruguay’s prospects and Yakubu howler
Join Adrian Clarke & Iain Spragg for a brand new episode of the pint size World Cup podcast. The talismanic two heap praise on Uruguay and Argentina, debate the rights and wrongs of employing national team managers from overseas and attempt to understand why Europe’s elite have been so second rate so far. Yakubu, Steven Pienaar…
World Cup News: Fabio Capello Isn’t Crazy!
Good morning everybody and welcome once more to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens. England take on Group C leaders Slovenia (that just doesn’t sound right does it?) later today and need to pull a convincing win out of the bag in order to, at least momentarily, silence their growing phalanx of doubters. Could…
South Africa 2 France 1 – So long Bafana Bafana, good riddance to Les Bleus
In a sentence Despite a flying start and a one man advantage, South Africa fail to get the goals necessary to progress. Electrifying before a limp finale At half-time, the improbable seemed to be on but the second half saw the game fade. It would have been great to see Domenech, in his final…
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