Sport
INTRODUCTION
All sport in South Africa under apartheid was segregated by race, with separate clubs and governing bodies .The system of white supremacy in South Africa was applied in the field of sport as much as in all other walks of life. In other societies where black people have been subjected to widespread discrimination it is in the field of sport and culture that they have managed to make substantial inroads.
Not so in South Africa because both the sports administrators, who control all official sport, and the Government have jointly taken measures deliberately to exclude South Africa's non-white people from participating in representative sport.
Sport AS DIVISIVE
The previously discussed history of South African sport ties closely into the implications of sport during the apartheid era. At the height of apartheid, the racial divide in team sports was clear, and was strictly enforced by the government and official sporting organizations.
Soccer was predominantly played by blacks, while rugby was played almost solely by white South Africans. Even when whites participated in soccer, the leagues were split by race; The South African Football Association, later banned by FIFA, only allowed White players, while leagues such as the South African Bantu Football Association consisted entirely of Black players. This was largely due to 1956 legislation that attempted to break up all inter-racial leagues.
The non-white soccer leagues were historically underfunded, while White soccer leagues, and to an even greater extent, rugby leagues, had highly superior facilities. The blatant inequality and segregation caused blacks to have deep-seated resentment towards the Springbok rugby team, the most prominent symbol of apartheid in sport. Non-whites would often cheer for any team that opposed the Springboks.
Divided not only on the field
Apartheid wasn't only limited to the level of administration of sport and selection of participants. As spectators, the African, Coloured and Indian people are subjected to rigid racial segregation. The main sports arenas have separate entrances, seating enclosures and toilet facilities for non-whites. These are usually the worst and minimal rather than `separate and equal'. At some arenas non-whites are banned altogether from attending sports gatherings.
SPORTING BOYCOTT of South AFRICA during Apartheid
In 1956, the first victory against apartheid sport was won in the field of table tennis. The International Table Tennis Federation removed the all-white South African Table Tennis Union from membership and recognised the non-racial South African Table Tennis Board as the sole controlling body in South Africa. Although the non-racial body was not able to send representatives to international competitions, because of Government action in withdrawing the passports of its players, this decision encouraged other sports organisations to take similar initiatives.
By 1955 the non-racial South African Soccer Federation had made representations to the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA). It was pointed out that the non-racial body had more than twice the membership of the white body, the Football Association of South Africa (FASA). Because of the large number of friends of the all-white Association who held influence in FIFA, it was not until 1961 that FASA was first suspended. Finally In 1964, FIFA banned the South African Football Association due to its discriminatory practices.
South Africa's ban from the Tokyo Olympics of 1964
As sporting bodies in South Africa were segregated by race, and only white sporting bodies were affiliated to the South African Olympic and Empire Games Association, it meant that only white South Africans were able to represent the country in its Olympic team.
On August 18, 1964, two months after Nelson Mandela was jailed for life, the International Olympic Committee declared that South Africa would be banned from taking part in the Summer Games being held that October in Tokyo. After refusing to allow black athletes to partake in the events, South Africa was officially expelled from the International Olympic Committee in 1970.
As a result, South Africa was later banned from competing in numerous other sports including rugby, golf, cricket, and tennis.
THE END OF SPORTING BOYCOTT
In 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from jail, President FW de Klerk lifted the country’s state of emergency, and negotiations began which would bring an end to apartheid. Following a visit to South Africa in 1991, the IOC invited the country to participate at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona.
1995 RUGBY world cup: Unifying a divided nation
It was once a symbol of division, the separation between white and black South Africa, but in the hands of one amazing man it became a symbol of hope, unity and peace. RUGBY; once a white man's game became the unifier of a once broken, but now proud nation; and it was Rugby World Cup 1995 that helped pave the way for Nelson Mandela to bring together the "Rainbow Nation".
The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in South Africa following the end of apartheid. It was also the first World Cup in which South Africa was allowed to compete after being barred from the two previous tournaments because of its oppressive white minority rule. the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB, now World Rugby) had only readmitted South Africa to international rugby in 1992, following negotiations to end apartheid.
When South Africa was selected to host the Rugby World Cup in 1995, President Nelson Mandela sought to win the goodwill of the Springboks’ white fans by throwing his support behind the team. Mandela understood the importance of surprise and the grand gesture. He resisted pressure to scrap the springbok, the team's despised emblem, and rallied the nation around the players. The event assumed significance far beyond who won or lost on the field. Although that mattered too, andthe victory by the South African Springboks only added to the event’s mystique.
aN historic victory, a memorable and unforgettable day
Before the start of the game, Mandela, wearing a Springboks jersey and cap, visited the players in the locker room before they took the field. “We knew we had to go out there and win it for South Africa,” Williams Chester said. “There were tears in my eyes. But some of the other guys were so moved they were openly crying. That this man who had suffered so much should forgive and want us to win was incredible. It was the only motivation we needed.”
The moment is thought by some to be one of the most famous finals of any sport in the final, held at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on 24 June 1995. South Africa defeated New Zealand 15–12.
Both nations finished undefeated at the top of their pools. South Africa defeated Western Samoa in the quarter-finals, and then France in the semi-finals to reach the final; while New Zealand defeated Scotland in the quarter-finals, and England in the semi-finals, a game in which Jonah Lomu famously scored four tries for the All Blacks.
South Africa led 9–6 at half time, and New Zealand levelled the scores at 9–9 with a drop goal in the second half. Though Andrew Mehrtens almost kicked a late drop goal for the All Blacks, the score remained tied at full-time, forcing the game into extra time. Both teams scored penalty goals in the first half of extra time, but Joel Stransky then scored a drop goal to win the final for South Africa.
What happened after the match has become an iconic moment in the history of the sport. Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby jersey and baseball cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar to the delight of the capacity crowd.
When the blond Afrikaner shook hands with the black freedom fighter turned president, they instantly forged one of the country's defining images of racial unity. It was a poignant image, but one that obscured some still-festering racial sores, including among the rugby players.
In an interview with the Observer, Pienaar recalled the hardline white attitudes that shaped his childhood.
Francois Pienaar said:
"During those six weeks what happened in this country was incredible,"
"I'm still gobsmacked when I think back to the profound change that happened. We started obviously with a great leader with a fantastic vision who realised that sport is important for the Afrikaner white community and to earn their respect and trust."
"But on the other side I have such a respect for what he had to go through in the African National Congress because the springbok was a symbol of apartheid. The majority of South Africans never supported the Springboks, so to ask them to support them for the first time was a massive ask."
"Through the course of those six weeks, because he asked them and we came to the party in terms of playing good rugby and building a nice momentum towards the final, things happened in South Africa that were just magical.
For the final there were 63,000 people in the stadium and 62,000 were white. With a stroke of PR genius, Mandela appeared in the green-and-gold Springbok jersey and cap: "It's well documented that Mr Mandela walked out into Ellis Park in front of a predominantly white crowd, very much an Afrikaner crowd, wearing a springbok on his heart and how they shouted, 'Nelson, Nelson, Nelson!' because what he'd promised he delivered. And when the final whistle blew this country changed for ever. It's incomprehensible."
"But hopefully it will be tears of joy that South Africa has been so blessed to have a man who put us on a very important road, and just hope the leaders following him will not only use his name for effect but because they truly believe in what he stood for, and build on that."
rugby world champions for the second time
The 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, to determine the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. South Africa beat England 15–6. Having also won the 1995 tournament, South Africa became the second country to win two World Cups, following Australia, who won in 1991 and 1999.
England and South Africa, who won their semi-finals against France and Argentina respectively, had met during the pool stage of the competition, when South Africa won 36–0. South Africa began the final undefeated in the competition. The final was refereed by Irish referee Alain Rolland.
The match itself was try-less with each team scoring only penalties, South Africa five – four by fullback Percy Montgomery and one by centre François Steyn – and England two, both by fly-half Jonny Wilkinson. Each team had one major try scoring opportunity; South Africa's came late in the first half, while England's came early in the second, as wing Mark Cueto had a try disallowed in the 42nd minute after he was ruled to have put a foot in touch during a tackle by Danie Rossouw before grounding the ball.
ONE TEAM, ONE CAPTAIN, ONE NATION
A relentless South Africa performance secured them the Rugby World Cup as they defeated an underpowered England 32-12.
In the end it felt as if it was written in the stars. Every 12 years South Africa have an unerring habit of winning World Cups and they have done so again, following up their triumphs of 1995 and 2007 with another prodigious display of power and might. In some ways this was an even more special achievement, certainly for anyone who has ever dreamed of a black Springbok captain lifting the Webb Ellis Cup.
The image of Siya Kolisi hoisting the golden trophy into the clear Japanese night sky is set to become as treasured a picture as that of Nelson Mandela congratulating Francois Pienaar in Johannesburg 24 years ago, transcending such minor details as the scoreline and the sense of English disappointment. above all else, there is the tale of Kolisi, the sport-loving boy from the townships of Port Elizabeth who has conquered the world.
The first half was a battle of attrition, with both teams delivering punishing tackles and several players leaving the game early with injuries. But it was the powerful South African forward pack that set the tone, forcing England into several penalties during scrums, which contributed to a 12-6 South Africa lead at halftime on four penalty goals from flyhalf Handré Pollard.
The England captain, Owen Farrell, converted two penalty goals for the English.
Six minutes into the second half, South Africa won another penalty at the scrum, and Pollard converted a long-range kick to make it 15-6. But England turned the tables with another kick by Farrell that made it 15-9, and for a moment the English appeared to seize momentum.
But South Africa held off the English, and then Mapimpi broke free on the left wing in the 67th minute, delivering a kick pass that bounced into the arms of a charging Lukhanyo Am, the outside center. Am scooped up the ball and immediately shoveled it back to Mapimpi, who took it over for the game’s first try.
Kolbe sealed the victory in the 74th minute, getting the ball on the right wing some 40 yards out and dancing around several defenders for the try that put the game out of reach. Pollard’s conversion produced the final 32-12 score.
South Africa became the first team to win the World Cup despite losing a match in the pool stage. The Springboks, as the team is known, were defeated by New Zealand, the two-time defending champion, in their opening game in Japan.
Racial divisions persist in the country, and in South African rugby, but this victory was delivered by the most racially diverse Springboks team to represent the nation at a World Cup.
Siya Kolisi, the first black Springboks captain, led a 31-man team that included 11 black or mixed-race players, including six who started in final.
The veteran flanker François Louw, who is white, addressed it at a team news conference before the final.
“Siya’s got a lot of weight on his shoulders in terms of the role as captain, with regards to the makeup of our country and our nation. where we’ve come from, where we are right now,” Louw said. “It’s a role he’s grasped fully. I’ll never forget the first thing he did as captain was encourage those around him to support him and help him lead.”
Kolisi addressed the team’s sense of mission in remarks to the crowd after South Africa’s victory.
“Since I have been alive I have never seen South Africa like this,” he said. “With all the challenges we have, the coach said to us that we are not playing for ourselves any more, we are playing for the people back home. that is what we wanted to do today."
“We appreciate all the support. People in the taverns, in the shebeens, farms, homeless people there were screens there and people in the rural areas. Thank you so much, we appreciate the support. We love you South Africa, and we can achieve anything if we work together as one.”
more than sportsmen: TWO ICONS THAT MADE HISTORY of springboks
Chester Williams: South African rugby star who symbolised the end of apartheid
In a South African society brutally divided along racial lines, rugby was long considered a white sport, soccer a black one. Chester Williams who as a person of mixed race was considered “coloured”, as distinct from black, under the apartheid regime. He had grown up playing rugby. Williams, who has died of a heart attack aged 49, was a central figure in one of the most compelling sports dramas of the latter 20th century.
Chester Williams (8 August 1970 – 6 September 2019) was a South African rugby union player. He played as a winger for the South Africa national rugby union team (Springboks) from 1993 to 2000. Williams is best known as the star winger of the South Africa national Springbok team that won the 1995 Rugby World Cup against New Zealand and was nicknamed "The Black Pearl". He was the only non-white player on the team. During the tournament, he scored four tries for South Africa in its quarterfinal match and also appeared in the semi-final and final. He was the first non-white player to be included in the Springboks squad since Errol Tobias and his uncle Avril Williams in the early 1980s.
In 2002, Williams released his controversial authorised biography, simply titled "Chester", in which he claimed that he was shunned by some of his team mates in the 1995 Springbok squad and was called racist names by James Small. One taunted him with a racial slur and demanded of him: “Why do you want to play our game? You know you can’t play it.”
Siya Kolisi: South Africa’s first black rugby captain. He maDE Mandela wish come true
Mandela wore the No 6 South Africa shirt when he presented the Rugby World Cup trophy in 1995. the same number captain Kolisi wore against England. The moment Siya Kolisi held the Web Ellis Cup above his head in Yokohama has great symbolic and social value in South Africa. As the first black leader of the 'Springboks', the rugby player did on 02 november 2019 what anti-apartheid fighter Nelson Mandela had in mind decades ago.
Siya Kolisi becomes the third Springboks captain to lift the Webb Elli sCup, writing his name into South African history, alongside Francois Pienaar (1995) and John Smit (2007).
The integration of black players in the 'Springboks' was also slow. In 1995 the World Cup selection contained one black player. Twelve years later, in obtaining the second world title from South Africa in France, captain John Smit had two black teammates.
In 2019, another twelve years later, 12 of the 31 selection players from South Africa at the World Cup in Japan are black players. The 28-year-old Kolisi was this year the first non-white South African to be chosen as captain.
Three presidents with one thing in common
That iconic image of june 24 1995 at Elis Park in Johannesburg, in which Nelson Mandela, wearing a Springbok rugby jersey and baseball cap, presented the Webb Ellis Cup to South African captain François Pienaar, has almost became a tradition every time springboks have won a rugby world cup final.
On 20 october 2007 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris, the former south african Thabo Mbeki as well as Nelson Mandela made 15 years before, presented the golden trophy to the emblematic springboks captain John Smith.
On 02 november 2019 at the international stadium of Yokohama, the current south african president Cyril Ramaphosa has perpetuized the tradition, presenting the prestigious trophy to south african captain Siya Kolisi. Ramaphosa beamed lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy in scenes almost reminiscent to those of 1995 and 2007, when former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki had the same honour.
the incredible feat of bafana bafana (AFCON 1996)
After a long period of exile, South Africa returned to continental participation, and their first ever Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 1996 will last forever in the memories of their people.
FIFA first suspended South Africa in 1963. New FIFA President, Stanley Rous, then made an attempt to renegotiate, leading to a ridiculous proposal from South African authorities to enter an all-white team for 1966 World Cup qualifiers and an all-black team for the edition that followed.
On 23 March 1991, four separate organizations amalgamated to form the South African Football Association (SAFA). At that time apartheid was still alive. Yet, the first meeting of SAFA spawned a defiant statement, “It was only natural that the game finally is united as the sport of football had long led the way into breaking the tight grip of racial oppression, written into South Africa’s laws by its successive apartheid governments”.
SAFA officials would receive a standing ovation in 1992 Congress of the Confederation of African Football. South Africa was readmitted to CAF and they were soon back into the folds of FIFA. On 7 July 1992, the first non-racial official South African team played an international match against Cameroon in Durban. They won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Theophilus “Doctor” Khumalo. South African football’s international isolation was finally at an end.
The initial euphoria soon faded as South Africa gradually woke up to the harsh realities of a long hibernation. They failed to qualify for 1994 African Cup of Nations and suffered the same fate during the 1994 World Cup qualifiers after a damning 4-0 defeat at the hands of Nigeria.
In 1994, Clive Barker took over the reins of South Africa and began a remarkable turnaround. Barker had over two decades of coaching experience in South Africa and put that to good use, uniting a squad which was often torn apart by club rivalries. Tactically, he didn’t do anything revolutionary, persisting with a tried and tested 4-4-2 formation.
During the 1994 Cup of African Nations, Barker claimed in an interview with African Soccer magazine that he expected South Africa to win the 1996 edition and qualify for 1998 World Cup. His statement was met with ridicule though Bafana Bafana’s improvement was undeniable.
Bafana Bafana's squad:
Defence was one of Bafana Bafana’s strengths with youngster Mark Fish joining veteran captain Neil Tovey and Lucas Radebe, who was slowly becoming an important player for Leeds United. Fish could operate as a sweeper and his marauding runs would prove to be a trump card for South Africa. At right-back, Sizwe Motaung was not the most technically gifted defender but became irreplaceable for his overlaps and uncompromising defensive style.
Doctor Khumalo was the brain in midfield. What he lacked in pace was more than made up by his vision and ability to unlock defences with accurate passes. John “Shoes” Moshoeu partnered Khumalo in midfield and was one of the more technically proficient players in the team. He also had a tendency to use his sudden burst of acceleration to ghost into the opponent penalty box in search of goals. South African creative midfielders were ably supported by hardworking runners like Eric Tinkler, Linda Buthelezi, and Helman Mkhalele.
Phil Masinga was unarguably Bafana Bafana’s star striker, having scored an astonishing 121 goals in the domestic circuit between 1990 and 1994. Often partnering him was one of South Africa’s best young strikers – Shaun Bartlett. Mark Williams was contracted to Wolverhampton Wanderers where coach Graham Taylor had offered him a new contract to prevent him from joining the national team at a crucial juncture of the club calendar. The striker turned the lucrative offer down, choosing his country over club career.
Barker’s final selection for the 1996 Cup of African Nations contained a mixture of players from South Africa and playing abroad. Orlando Pirates, who in 1995 had become the first South African club to win CAF Champions League, dominated South African contingent while the valuable experience of English club football was injected by Leeds pair of Radebe, Masinga and Wolves’ Williams.
The Tournement:
Fittingly, there was drama before the tournament. The 1996 edition was originally scheduled to be held in Kenya. When Kenya failed to meet deadlines it was handed to South Africa, one of the continent’s more prosperous nations.
On 13 January 1996, South Africa made their debut in Africa Cup of Nations in front of 75,000 home fans. Among the spectators was the nation’s favourite “Madiba” while heroes of the rugby team which had won the World Cup the previous year also made an appearance during half time.
Bafana Bafana’s opponents in opening match of Group A were Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions were a far cry from the team that had made an entire continent dream at Italia 1990. With a comfortable lead, South Africa played with greater freedom in the second-half, resulting in an absolutely gorgeous third goal in the 55th minute. Moshoue started the move after picking up a pass in midfield. He darted forward in a serpentine run, connecting with Masinga, who completed the one-two with a sublime backheel. Moshoeu suddenly found himself one-on-one with the ‘keeper and he kept his calm, smoothly finishing the move. South Africa couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start than a 3-0 victory.
A 1-0 victory over neighbors Angola was followed by same score defeat to Egypt that didn’t stop them from reaching the next round.South Africa were slated to play Algeria on 27 January 1996 in Johannesburg, in the quarterfinals they managed a hard fought 2-1 win over Algeria to reach the semis, where they produced another amazing performance to defeat Ghana 3-0. For many experts, the win over Ghana was South Africa’s best performance of the 1996 AFCON and one of the greatest games ever played by Bafana Bafana.
The final: 3 February 1996, a date forever etched into folklore of South African football.
The FNB stadium (Johannesburg soccer city stadium) was packed to rafters. South Africans were comforted by the sight of Mandela wearing the same jersey as Bafana Bafana’s captain – a ploy that had worked wonders for the rugby team in 1995.
In front of more than 80,000 supporters, Mark Williams scored twice in two minutes as Bafana Bafana defeated the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia 2-0 in the final to be crowned champions on their debut appearance. The referee blew the long whistle after 93 minutes as Barker and his staff ran on the ground with South African flag fluttering on every corner of the stadium. Nelson Mandela’s Rainbow Nation had finally seed a memorable victory in its most popular sport.
A beaming Mandela handed over the AFCON trophy to the captain Neil Tovey and in a repeat of the Rugby World Cup victory of 1995, he became one with the squad as it celebrated its triumph. Madiba Magic emanated across the country, and the ‘Rainbow Nation’ had conquered Africa at the first time of asking, one year after the nation's rugby team famously defeated New Zealand.
The 1996 AFCON win wasn’t just a major title for Bafana, but rather a continuation of the positivity that came from the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In winning the AFCON, Bafana helped set a new benchmark for South African football, an achievement made all the more astonishing when you take into consideration that they had only just been readmitted to the global footballing world.
That 1996 African Nations Cup decider will forever be remembered as ‘the Mark Williams final’ as the striker came off the bench to net twice in the space of three minutes and write his name into the country’s folklore. Williams reveals the day did not start quite as he expected, but from early in the morning he had “a divine belief” that he would play a pivotal role in deciding the fortunes of the final.
“We met president Nelson Mandela before every game at 6am at our hotel and the Final was no different,” Williams says in the February edition of KICK OFF Magazine. “Usually he greeted the captain [Neil Tovey] first before speaking to the players, but on this occasion I was late into the room, at one minute to six, and so I was on the end of the line.
“Madiba said to me, ‘Mark, today you are going to war, but no matter what happens the country is behind you’ and he hugged me. I was awestruck, even just that he knew my name, and it took me into another world.
"After celebrating the first goal I remember looking up at Madiba in the president’s suite and he had tears in his eyes. I could see them even though I was 50 metres away, it was like I was looking through a telescope."
“Doctor Khumalo gave me a great pass for the second goal. Before he passed he had made a brilliant tackle too. He had a great game.”
“I honestly believe I was called by God to do something that great that day,” he said through a strained voice. “I can feel it now even as I am speaking to you 20 years later. It is a hard thing to explain, I just knew it was my destiny.”
Coach of the squad, Clive Barker who also qualified the nation for its first ever FIFA World Cup back in 1998 thanked SAFA for making the effort of recognizing the achievements of the players during a very difficult time in the country.
“These players achieved what no other country could have ever managed under trying times. We were a united force and that played a huge role in us conquering Africa. Till today, I am proud of the class of 96’ and happy that some of those heroes are still serving the country through football” said Barker.
the rainbow nation: FOREVER THE FIRST
On 15 May 2004 in Zurich, Switzerland, Joseph (Sepp) Blatter, president of FIFA, world soccer's governing body, made an historic announcement: South Africa would host the 2010 World Cup. Nelson Mandela wept tears of joy: “I feel like a young man of 15,” he told the audience in Zurich. In South Africa, people of all races erupted in simultaneous, raucous celebration of the much-anticipated announcement. FIFA selected South Africa over Egypt and Morocco to become the first African nation to host the finals.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup™ meant more to South Africa than this time-honoured sport, though. This event saw a massive rejuvenation of local resources and infrastructure, a cooperation amongst so many industries, to make it the best, most vibrant, and most efficient event of the century. In preparation for the momentous event, the South African government invested a lot of time and money into various resources. Some of the initiatives pursued included: development of seven transfrontier conservation areas (TCAs), upgrading road networks, improved telecommunications, construction of new stadiums, renovation of airports and the construction of continent’s first high-speed public railway.
South Africa welcomed more than 3 million football fans from around the world to enjoy the planet's most popular sport being played by the top international teams, As South Africans welcomed visitors and football fans from all over the globe, this country came alive with possibilities and united in the shared passion of a sport.
A number of stadiums were built or revamped throughout the country in preparation, and the host cities and stadiums of the games were:
MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM (Durban), GREEN POINT STADIUM (Cape town), NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM (Port Elizabeth), MBOMBELA STADIUM (Nelspruit), ELLIS PARK STADIUM (Johannesburg), SOCCER CITY STADIUM (Johannesburg), LOFTUS VERSFELD STADIUM (Pretoria), FREE STATE STADIUM (Bloemfontein), PETER MOKABA STADIUM (Polokwane) and ROYAL BAFOKENG STADIUM (Rustenburg).
The opening game against Mexico
South Africa on june 11 2010 kicked off Africa's first ever World Cup in an atmosphere that was praised by organisers as "incredible", drawing against Mexico on a day that sparked jubilation in the Soccer City stadium and around the country.
The tournemant kicked off in spectacular style in Johannesburg, with a typically colourful opening ceremony being followed by a brilliant South African opening goal and a breathless second half that culminated in the hosts hitting the post in the final minute of normal time, when victory over Mexico was in their grasp.
Carlos Vela missed a chance then had a goal disallowed for a borderline offside before the hosts managed to put together a convincing attack, yet when they did, right on the stroke of the interval, they managed to miss a glorious opportunity to turn round with an undeserved lead. Tshabalala finally sent over a dangerous cross from the left and though Mphela looked well placed to meet it he failed to get his head on the ball when in front of goal and inside the six-yard box.
If the African spirit was flagging somewhat after Bafana Bafana were made to look laboured by Mexico's short passing game in the first half, it exploded into life 10 minutes after the interval when Siphiwe Tshabalala gave World Cup 2010 a truly memorable opening goal. South Africa waited patiently for the right moment to disrupt one of Mexico's most patient build-ups, a succession of sideways passes going nowhere in particular near the halfway line, then struck with the deftest of counters. Once possession had been gained the impressive Kagiso Dikgacoi played the perfect 40-yard pass from inside the centre circle to allow Tshabalala to run behind the Mexican defence, and after taking a single touch the winger's left-foot finish was even better, flying unstoppably past Oscar Pérez and into his top-left corner.
It is safe to say even at this early stage that few quick breakaways will better it, and though Mexico came back to claim a deserved point through Rafael Márquez. Andrés Guardado's diagonal ball over a static South African defence found three men queueing up to receive it at the far post. Márquez, the third in line, calmly took the ball down and beat Khune.
There were chances at both ends in the minutes that remained and a high standard of entertainment has been set for the rest of the tournament. The crowd loved it, apart from the few seconds after Márquez's goal, when the infernal vuvuzelas were temporarily and eerily silenced. Though Katlego Mphela's missed chance right at the end could have provided a sensational ending, a win would have been ever so slightly more than South Africa deserved. "That could have been the killer goal," Tshabalala said afterwards. "It would have been a great goal. There's nothing we can do about it."
Diego Forlán stroke twice to sink South Africa
The Bafana Bafana World Cup dream began to unravel after a Diego Forlán double and a last-gasp third from Alvaro Pereira took Uruguay to the top of Group A. With one point from two games, Carlos Alberto Parreira's side must already win their final match against France to have any hope of progressing in the tournemant.
When Uruguay took the lead in the first half it appeared Forlán might have been the first striker to make the new ball do his bidding, although on closer inspection the reason his shot achieved so much height and then dip was because it clipped Aaron Mokoena's ear. Either way it left Itumeleng Khune with no chance of stopping it. Just as it seemed a well-struck drive from almost 25 yards out was heading into the crowd it dropped over Khune's head and under his bar before the stadium fully realised what had happened.
It was no more than Uruguay deserved because, although South Africa kept coming forward strongly, they ran out of ideas and invention in front of goal, whereas Forlán and Luis Suárez always promised that bit more poise and class. While they were still level the Africans' best couple of attacks had involved Siphiwe Tshabalala, new darling of the crowd after his stunning goal against Mexico, but on both occasions he selfishly went for glory with better placed colleagues in support.
More bad news for South Africa arrived before the interval, with Fulham's Kagisho Dikgacoi picking up a booking for a foul on Suárez that put him out of the next match against france. Dikgacoi was lucky to stay on the field at the start of the second half when, intentionally or otherwise, he smacked Suárez in the mouth and drew blood.
Diego Lugano had a chance to make sure of victory but missed his header completely, and the Uruguayans squandered several more openings before Khune received the red card that had seemed to have Dikgacoi's name on it by tripping Suárez. It was slightly harsh, yet as last man he had to go. South Africa did not have a spare goalkeeper ready and the game was held up while Moneeb Josephs prepared to come on at the expense of Steven Pienaar, only to be beaten from the spot by Forlán's confident clip into the top of the net.
There was little chance of South Africa hitting back with 10 men; they hardly ever looked like scoring with 11. While Tshabalala's opening-day strike will stand as one of the goals of the tournament, South Africa do not appear to have many more where that came from. By the time Pereira added a cruel third from Suárez's cross the stadium was rapidly emptying.
South Africa beat red-faced France and both bow out
The "bleus" conceded the first goal in sloppy fashion, which served to rev up the passionate crowd still further and there was also, inevitably, a Gallic slice of self-destruction.
Yoan Gourcuff might claim that he was hard done by, but leading with an arm in an aerial challenge with MacBeth Sibaya was ill-advised, to say the least. It thudded into the side of Sibaya's face and the referee reached for the red card.
South Africa sensed that France were there for the taking after Hugo Lloris missed Siphiwe Tshabalala's corner and Bongani Khumalo, perhaps climbing on Abou Diaby, sparked frenzy in the stands by heading the opener. Parreira's men began to believe in improbable progress when the outstanding Katlego Mphela scored a deserved second goal for the only team on the pitch.
Comical French defender played it part - Diaby shanked the ball the wrong way when attempting to clear, enabling an umfana to cross towards Mphela. Clichy appeared to intercept but then the ball became entwined between his legs and Mphela took advantage to bundle it into the net. The striker chased after it to retrieve and raced to plonk it back down on the penalty spot and urged French to take their kick-off quickly. They wanted more goals. It was humiliating for France. At the same time, Uruguay were 1-0 up on Mexico. after being threaded through by Tshabalala, Bafana Bafana's story might have had a dramatic sting.
Instead, with Thierry Henry and Malouda on as substitutes, France finally gained a foothold and Franck Ribéry laid on a simple goal for Malouda. The atmosphere fell flat. South Africa became the first host nation to fall short of the knock-out stage. but they departed with heads held high. For France, the memories are rather more grisly.
A very promising new
generation of south african Athletes
Caster Semenya (born 7 January 1991) is a South African middle-distance (400 m, 800 m and 1500 m) runner and 2016 Olympic gold medalist. She won gold in the women's 800 metres at the 2009 World Championships with a time of 1:55.45, the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the 2017 World Championships in her new personal best, 1:55.16.
Semenya also won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the 2017 World Championships held in London.
After the doping disqualification of Mariya Savinova, she also was awarded gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Summer Olympics, all in the 800 metres. Caster Semenya was chosen to carry the country's flag during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Wayde van Niekerk ( born 15 July 1992) is a South African track and field sprinter who competes in the 200 and 400 metres. In the 400 metres, he is the current world and Olympic record holder, and Olympic champion. He also holds the world-best time in the 300 metres.
He also represented South Africa at the 2013 and 2015 Athletics World Championships. At the 2015 World Championships, he won the gold medal in the 400 meters. He defended his title two years later, in London, where he also won the silver medal in the 200 meters race.
In the 2016 Olympic Games men's 400m, Van Niekerk won the gold medal with a world record time of 43.03 seconds (reaction time 0.181 s) at age 24 years and 30 days, beating the time of 43.18 seconds set by Michael Johnson during the 1999 World Championships in Athletics in Seville, Spain.
Luvo Manyonga (born 8 January 1991) is a South African track and field athlete who specialises in the long jump. He won the 2017 World Championship in London and the 2018 Commonwealth Games title in the Gold Coast, Australia. He was the Olympic silver medallist in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. He holds a personal best of 8.65 m.
Manyonga won the gold at the 2017 World Championships in London, jumping 8.48 metres. He continued a great run of form by winning the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, jumping a games record of 8.41 metres in the final.
Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (born 22 November 1986) is a South African former professional sprinter.
After becoming a Paralympic champion, Pistorius attempted to enter non-disabled international competitions, over persistent objections by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and charges that his artificial limbs gave an unfair advantage. Pistorius eventually prevailed in this legal dispute. At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Pistorius became the first amputee to win a non-disabled world track medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Pistorius became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympic Games. Pistorius was chosen to carry the South African flag for the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Pistorius participated in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (T44). he won the 100 metres and set a Paralympic record with his time of 11.16 seconds.
Four days later, on 13 September, the defending Paralympic champion in the 200-metre sprint won his second gold in the event in a time of 21.67 seconds,setting another Paralympic record. He completed a hat-trick by winning gold in the 400 metres in a world-record time of 47.49 seconds on 16 September,
Pistorius also carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics on 29 August. He entered the T44 classification men's 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres races, and the T42–T46 4 × 100 metres relay.
Pistorius won a gold medal on running the anchor leg as part of the South African 4 × 100 metres (T42-T49) relay team (Samkelo Radebe, Zivan Smith, Arnu Fourie, Oscar Pistorius) he team set a world record time of 41.78 seconds.
The last full day of competition, Pistorius won gold in the T44 400 metres with a time of 46.68 seconds, breaking the Paralympic record.
Akani Simbine (born 21 September 1993) is a South African sprinter. He competed in the 100 metres event at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics and 2016 Summer Olympics and he won the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m final. He finished fifth in 9.94 seconds in the 100m final of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on 14 August 2016. He is the 2018 Commonwealth Games 100 metres champion.
