The stadium operator SAIL STADEFRANCE announced yesterday that it is pulling out of the 30-year lease agreement with the City of Cape Town to manage the 4.5 billion rand ($600 million) World Cup stadium at Green Point.
SAIL chairman Morne du Plessis explained that “Shareholders were not prepared to enter the lease under circumstances that projected substantial losses.” Since PSL matches in Cape Town rarely draw more than a few thousand spectators, and rugby already has an excellent stadium at Newlands, local taxpayers must now shoulder the World Cup debt burden long into the future.
For further reading, see my academic journal articles from 2007 and 2008 (free download), in which I argued that in the long run the monumental Cape Town Stadium — built at FIFA’s insistence — would not benefit South African football, but instead would privatize profits (construction companies anyone?) and socialize debt.
The draw for the 2010 African Women’s Championship was held yesterday at the Birchwood Hotel in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. The official schedule released by CAF and SAFA reveals that matches will take place at Daveyton’s Sinaba Stadium and Tembisa’s Makhulong Stadium from 31 October to 14 November 2010. However, it remains unclear where each match is taking place and what the kickoff times are.
South African media covered the draw in perfunctory fashion. Local officials repeated platitudes heard daily during the 2010 World Cup: the tournament will market Brand South Africa, foster unity and pride, and so on. ‘This is yet another opportunity to put South Africa and Africa on the global map,’ said Ekhuruleni councillor Ndosi Shongwe in a typical remark. ‘We will be calling all our people to rally behind Banyana Banyana in the same way we did for Bafana Bafana during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Bafana united us as a nation, now let’s allow the Women’s National Team to take over the baton. To us this is more than just winning the trophy; it is about uniting the country towards social cohesion,’ Shongwe added.
The bigger and more important question, however, is: what will be the impact of this tournament on the development and growth of South African (and African) women’s football at junior, amateur, and elite levels?
This is a crucial question given that the number of female players — mostly black — continues to grow alongside their ongoing marginalization and exclusion in a male-dominated football world. (Suggested reading: Prishani Naidoo and Zanele Muhoi, ‘Women’s bodies and the world of football in South Africa,’ in Ashwin Desai’s The Race to Transform: Sport in Post-Apartheid South Africa (free download here)
CAF announced that the final draw for the 2010 African Women’s Championship in South Africa will take place in Ekurhuleni (Gauteng) on 21 September. The tournament runs from 29 October to 14 November, with Equatorial Guinea (defending champions), Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Mali, Tanzania and hosts South Africa to be divided into two round-robin groups. The top two teams from each group advance to the semis.
But with barely a month to go we are still in the dark about where and when matches will take place. This inexcusable delay makes it more difficult for fans and media to participate in and cover the premier event in women’s football on the continent.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s women’s team, Banyana Banyana, lost 0-2 at home to Cameroon in its last match. Mail and Guardian blogger Siphiwe Hlongwane characterized it as ‘another painful reminder of how far behind we still are when it comes to the women’s game.’ Commenting on South Africa’s humiliating 10-1 loss to Germany in the Women’s Under 17 World Cup, my good friend Thabo Dladla noted in his column today: ‘You cannot have a national U17 team while girls are not playing football in primary school.’
Whether it’s properly hosting a major tournament, building competitive national teams, or developing youth football, for meaningful change to happen, as Hlongwane says, ‘Women’s football needs to be treated with respect.’
Rhodes University’s Department of Politics and International Studies is hosting its 8th annual teach-in which this year reflects on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Each day’s event features a different invited keynote speaker and comments by Niren Tolsi, director of the Mail and Guardian‘s 2010 coverage. A question-and-answer session with the audience follows.
Lineup:
Monday: Rich Mkhondo, 2010 Local Organizing Committee spokesperson
Reggie Shelembe (1960-2010) -- iqhawe lamaqhawe (Photo by Peter Alegi)
African football has lost a giant. Reggie Shelembe (1960-2010), former player for African Wanderers, Durban Bush Bucks and AmaZulu and coach of Maritzburg City, has passed away from cancer. My heartfelt condolences to his family.
I got to know Reggie at the Izichwe development program where he coached young boys and my daughter. Reggie was a football connoisseur, devoted family man and teacher who came to training despite his illness, always eager to discuss the young players’ progress, the latest Champions League match and, of course, the 2010 World Cup. One hot afternoon, too hot for his weary body, he watched the training session from his parked car. When I went to say hi he smiled broadly and said: ‘man, you’ve got a nice first touch! I could see it all the way from here!’
I only had the privilege of Reggie’s company for a cruelly short time. But I’ll remember fondly our many afternoons spent ‘doing football’. His knowledge, generosity and commitment will continue to inspire us to put people before profits in and out of football.
Thabo Dladla’s thoughts on the passing of his dear friend tell us far more than I ever could. Here they are:
Mhlanga Madondo, one of our most promising young coaches, made a profound statement when the late Reggie Shelembe was critically ill. ‘We cannot afford to lose a man of his experience. Reggie’s death will put uMgungundlovu [Pietermaritzburg] football back more than 20 years. It will be very difficult for local to recover from his passing.” Zakes Gwala, SAFA KZN secretary, also made a telling statement about Shelembe a few years ago. ‘The man spends most of his time training players, whether it’s a cold or very hot day.’
I think it is proper to thank his family to have allowed football to share him. We live in a time where life is more about status and power. There are very few men and women who are prepared to make sacrifices for others. A lot of people coach hoping to get instant fame and fortune. We have few people in this country with the passion to work under difficult conditions.
Shelembe lived for football. He would call me at odd hours to talk about technical-tactical ideas. He was a true student of the game. The last time I visited him, he was watching the recent Women’s U20 World Cup. He was excited about the growth of women’s football. Shelembe was also part of the coaching group that recruited Izichwe Youth Football Programme talent. He worked with Styles Mkhize and Mhlanga Madondo in the infancy stage of the programme. He came to training even when he was sick. He trained juniors in the mornings and seniors in the afternoons.
The death of Shelembe should usher in a new commitment from people. Football needs parents who will take responsibility for the development of children. I would like to appeal to young players to learn from Shelembe’s life. It is important to give back in life. May his family be consoled by the fact that Shelembe lived life to its fullest. He was a brave man who fought hard to the end. May his soul rest in peace. Unzima lo mthwalo!
Schoolgirls playing the game in KwaZulu-Natal (Photo by Peter Alegi)
Remember ‘Feel it! It is here!’ and similar emotional tugs on our football-loving hearts and souls during the 2010 World Cup? A few weeks later, the country is due to host the CAF African Women’s Championship and the silence is deafening.
Media, the South African FA, government and the private sector are back to their usual ways, ignoring everything but the money-spinning elite men’s game. The most recent evidence of the continuing low status of the women’s game in South Africa (and Africa) is that the venues for the African Women’s Championship in October have yet to be decided.
After the World Cup, we are back to reality. Maladministration, commercial disinterest, and male condescension continue to hold African women’s football back. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Mphela courtesy of http://images.teamtalk.com/10/06/496x259/mphela_2460847.jpg
Bafana Bafana returned to action after the 2010 World Cup Wednesday night with a deserved 1-0 win against The Black Stars on a cold night at half-full Soccer City. Katlego Mphela (in photo) scored the winner in the 42nd minute.
Pitso Mosimane, Bafana’s new ‘local-is-lekker’ head coach, said: ‘Mphela was frustrating me by missing two good chances early on. That was why I called Mphela over to the touchline in the first half and told him what I wanted and he produced the winner.’ No need for Madiba magic, now we have Pitso magic.
Speaking of spiritual forces, Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac (sort of) joked that Soccer City may be cursed: ‘This was the third match we played here and we have lost all three’ (to Germany, Uruguay and now SA).
Overall, a useful friendly for Mosimane’s debut at the helm of South Africa as they begin 2012 African Nations Cup qualifiers at home next month against Niger. Phambili!
