The Morning After in Cape Town. Bafana gave folks something to scream about. Here’s Fortune to tell us what he thinks.
Fortune is surviving as a Cape Town Car Guard. A thankless gig. If you are renting a car to follow your team, don’t forget to give a good tip to your Car Guard. I ran into Fortune many hours later in the dead of night. He was waiting for a couple of drivers. Fortune had much to say about how different folks treat him. One can also learn much from your Car Guard. Fortune is a representative figure, one who deserves to more fortune.
Author: David Patrick Lane
Here’s a little pre match Cape Town passion. Check out the Sister hedging her bets rocking it down the street in her España shirt. Share the love!
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The Pre World Cup Bevy
It was my aim to dispatch a report from some bar full of Uruguayans before the match in Cape Town yesterday. But in age old football supporter tradition, I was late.
South Africa is a serendipitous place. And proper South African football supporters tend to be late too. Before I could figure out my next move, my name was being called. It was Shirley out on the wing (across some Dutch named street I could not pronounce), waving at me, asking for the pass, and gesticulating toward the rest of the girls in the box. Shirley was going to whip one in. “We are to going to help Bafana score a goal”, she said. Yebo, Ladies! (*Shirley and Co. have been my regular healthy lunch spot hosts in Cape Town. It was only proper that I be in their company during their afternoon off.)
But first must come the pre match bevy. The Banyana like their cider. And I was honoured for it to be my shout. Shirley claimed to know just about every manager and cashier in the corner Spar. We jumped the queue. Eventually a large lady in a tracksuit, a sort of South African Fatty Foulkes, stepped in to ensure democracy at the entrance to the Spar. I won’t share what Shirley had to be say about her. It was X Rated Football language!
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Uruguay’s Opening Gambit
The wires are reporting Oscar “El Maestro” Tabarez has already named his Uruguay team for the opening match against France on Friday. This is a classic opening gambit designed to take advantage of current French insecurities.
The French don’t know what they are doing in South Africa. “El Maestro” has just signaled the Uruguayans do. “The system we have chosen can adapt to the different things we could face against France,” said “El Maestro”.
Mauricio Victorino who plays for Universidad de Chile and midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios (pictured above) who enforces the midfield for Penarol in Montevideo, are solid squad players, but not stars. So what is behind El Maestro’s opening gambit? What is he really saying by including Vicotorino and Rios? What is he really up to?
The reflex among some Uruguayan commentators and bloggers is to express disbelief and sigh. But El Maestro is thinking deep here, which is what he has to do if Uruguay are going to go deep into the tournament and win the World Cup.
Uruguay do not need stars to beat France is also the message here.
Cape Town Spurs from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
From L to R: Stan Mini, Hassien Ryclief, Arthur Botha, Yusuf Davids and Frank Adams
I was privileged to be in the company of some of the greats of Cape Town football last Saturday night. The five footballers (pictured above) were guests at the Opening Night of “Soccer Cinema” in Cape Town. “Maradona” by Emir Kusturica topped the bill.
A Serbian Jazz Quartet made intimate interviews almost impossible, though I did get Stan Mini to share the moment Apartheid ended football for him (see below). I won’t be upoading the interview I conducted with the legendary Arthur Botha. You can’t hear the man. I had asked Arthur if had ever played with anyone as flamboyant and masterful as Maradona. Arthur shook his head. “No, no. No one like that in our day”, he said. Then one of the other players interjected, asking Arthur about Basil D’Oliveira. The crimes and passions of football from back in the day suddenly splashed all over Arthur’s face. “Ah, yes, Dolly“, said Arthur. Dolly was Diego material, though he choose to take Cricket to that higher level, and did so in the teeth of apartheid and against apologists of the time. “I played with him, you know, and against him, too”, said Arthur. He went on, “Dolly and I grew up together. We’re great friends.”
Hassien Ryclief shared with me his chopping methods for dealing with Albert Johansson. Yusuf Davids said he “proud” of today’s Bafana Bafana, but will miss Benni McCarthy. Stan Mini agreed, but the twinkle in his eye suggested he was looking forward to seeing younger players get their chance. The stalwart of the Cape Town Spurs back line, Frank Adams, believes Alberto Parreira has Bafana Bafana primed and ready.
Later I watched the men watch the younger generation dance to more of that Serbian Jazz. It was the wee small hours, deep into injury time of Cape Town’s Indian Summer. No substitutes were needed.
It’s a scene every schoolboy remembers. A game of football is about to begin. Who plays against who? Who picks the sides? We all wanted to be on the side as our mates. We waved to impress the nominated Captains, though we were never quite sure how they became Captains. And why did some fool suggest the teams be divided by shirt colour on the very day you choose to wear a black shirt and the Maradona of your neighbourhood is decked out in white!
Stan Mini, a former Cape Town Spurs player, shares the moment when Apartheid and the social engineering of team selection forced him to walk away from the game. (We also hear how his team mate, the legendary Frank Adams, a defender by trade, was placed into an attacking role when the Cape Town Spurs took the bus to away games. Frank was a white man and always sure to get good service.)
Disguised as the Duke of Edinburgh I ducked through security at Cape Town’s No. 1 Radio Station, 94.5 K-FM, for an audience with Benito. Benito is the man responsible for caffeinating Cape Town’s morning airwaves. What did Benito think of Bafana Bafana’s chances?