Life and Career Skills

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 - SOUTH AFRICA

“Poised between nothing and nothing,

There floats a golden ball………………..”

Peter Abrahams   (Wild Conquest)

It is quite amazing that a soccer ball can hold the attention of millions

of people    - perhaps over a  billion people. A soccer ball,

a cricket ball, a tennis ball, and a golf ball, have given joy to multitudes

of people around the world. But the supreme sport in the world is soccer.

Our Earth itself is a soccer ball swinging and hurling, rotating

and spinning in the immensity of the Universe. Sometimes we wonder

what is the goal and where is the Goal  ?

Omar Khayyaam in his Rubaiyat wrote”

“The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes,

But Here or There as strikes the Player goes; “

Every four years thirty-two nations battle on the soccer field for soccer’s

supreme trophy.  What is needed from the players is skill, stamina,

tenacity, courage, dedication, faith and luck.

The teams need the support of their fans and spectators  -  and the support

of its government.  There is a fierce display of patriotism and national fervour.

Since technology has entered every home, television is able to bring

this global phenomenon into the homes of millions of people.

Science and Art fuse themselves in this motley display of  scientific

precision and artistic flair.

We are a world within a world.

The social calendar of people and national calendar undergoes

radical changes  to make way for games played over a period of 31 days.

Sir Alec Douglas Home said of cricket: If there be cricket in Heaven,

let there be rain also….and no Duckworth Lewis rules please.

If there be soccer in Heaven, will there be penalties, red cards ,

and vuvuzelas ?. Let there be no sudden death or the golden goal.

And what is the  vuvuzela?  Is it a monotony of cacophony … is it so

deafening that you cannot hear the vuvuzela itself ?

Or can it cure your deafness ?

A soccer match has its own emotions: these are reflected in the cheers,

ovation and plaudits of its crowd, its roaring and hissing and booing

and jeering.

But all this is subdued under the crescendo  of the Vuvuzela.

It is continous, unending ,  like the buzzing and murmuring

of innumerable bees.

I am at Soccer City. I now take hold of  my earplugs and bury

them deep into  my ears –  it   occludes, precludes and secludes all

sound so that what I see is a silent scenery, muted : multitudinous

colours of  spectators in a wide array of  national garb, and

dotted figures of moving men.

Soccer City, a calabash -  is the centre of the Sporting World  -

a Lords,  a Wimbledon, and a Wembley.  This Calabash is a symbol     -

it is a gladiatorial arena, a colloseum     -   it is a place for testing

the  toughness and genius of a people.  Here all the feelings and

emotions are released  as you  see, hear and feel  -  as you look

into the heart of the pulsating arena where the great drama of the

age unfolds.

Multitudinous events and episodes play themselves out involving

multifarious characters.

If our planet Earth has being observed by people of a distant planet,

we would be unaware that they probably  were seeing  that

south of  Africa has had some unique activities going on  in

various cities and stadiums

Here there is light and illumination, and sounds abound…

an ominous threatening humming and buzzing sound  -

perhaps a  war cry in preparation for an imminent War.

A War of the Worlds or the war of the nations of the world

battling for supremacy in this the greatest show on Earth.

England’s goalkeeper Green fumbles with the Jabulani Ball and finds

the ball creeping over the goal line.

Green is thereafter relegated to the limboes of oblivion.

Ghana’s striker  kicks the ball from over thirty metres and it swerves ,

evades  the goalkeeper as it enters gracefully into the goal.

The hopes of  a nation    depend on a single goal.

Lampard the English predator curls the ball over the goalkeeper’s head.

It hits the crossbar and is about a meter over the goal line and the

goalkeeper promptly picks it up and carries on playing as if nothing

of note has taken place.

The linesman has seen nothing nor has the referee.

Yet if  camera or technology had been used we would have

experienced a vastly different match.

The score would have been 2  -  2  at half-time , England would

have gained momentum, and we probably would have

seen the match of the World cup.

Brazil   a country of dazzling players , with flair and style  -

seem to show their effortless superiority over lesser mortals,

is destined  to win the world cup   -  then is outplayed by Holland.

The big names quickly fade away from the World screen, one by one :

Italy , France, England, Brazil -  the quickly  wilting giants of yesteryear.

Ghana,  level at  one all , in the dying minute is about to score against

Uruguay when Suarez  handles the ball. He is given a red card, and

a penalty is awarded. Ghana’s Gyan  misses the penalty

The match goes into extra time .

That which earned one man a red card has now given a lifeline to a nation.

Now its time for the 5 penalties.

Ghana handles the penalties poorly and is out of the World Cup.

Uruguay goes into the semi- finals.

Suarez is the villain now turned hero.

At times there have been too many yellow cards and red cards .

The diving soccer player hopes  to delude the referee but  sometimes

he gets caught as Television replays in slow motion discloses a

cold blooded  calculated dive.

In the first semi-final , Holland  outplays  Uruguay and there are five

goals scored. Uruguay is out.

Bronkhorst scores the goal of the World Cup, as the ball flies in from

30 meters and enters into the barest visible gap to beat the goalkeepers

outstretched hands.

But  extraordinary soccer is played  by Spain in an exhilarating display

of skill  and craft,.

Spain  are the artists opposing the artisans Germany .

Spain  continues  to possess and control the ball and make forays in a  display of  brilliant and total football.

Germany is out.

Tomorrow is the day of the Finals.

Holland versus Spain.

What will the score be like :   3 goals to 2, or a draw at full time and extra time ?

Then to be resolved by penalties  !

And what of the sudden death?

Who will win ?

There are no experts on soccer.

There’s only varying degrees of ignorance.

THE  WORLD CUP FINAL

And now the final soccer match and the final summing up.

On the evening of the 11th July the Final of the Fifa World Cup was

played at  the Soccer City to a full house.

Madiba Nelson Mandela made his brief appearance at the stadium amidst  universal applause for the great icon of the age: “Madiba !  Madiba”.

The crowd was moved to tears, for the occasion was poignant and rhapsodic.

- a fitting tribute in a paean of glory.

The opening ceremony was  quite outstanding .

The great feeling of unity and patriotism amongst the people of all colours

was a joy to behold. The sea of yellow Bafana  Bafana jerseys

was overwhelming as it rippled wave after wave, in a

tempestuous flood of emotions

And now the  closing  ceremony  was a riot of colour and

sounds and proudly African.

Now the great drama of the age began.

From the beginning the Dutch side appeared more aggressive and rough.

Many yellow cards were served  and  players stood on the brink of  red card and

instant dismissal.  The game was tough and rough and each team had several chances   which were averted by brilliant goalkeeping.

The game was destined for overtime. In the 116th minute with four minutes to go , the Spaniards broke the stranglehold as   Iniesta  smashed in a winner.

Effectively  the deathblow  had been  served.

When the final whistle was blown ,  Spain were worthy winners.  The crowd broke out into an eruption of deafening sounds.  Spain had  won the World Cup for the first time.   Netherlands or the Dutch Holland had now lost in all three finals.

Spain are worthy champions.

Their brand of soccer is fascinating to the eye.

The manner in which they mesmerized Germany will long be remembered.

The World Cup has come and gone, but the memories in the minds of men, women

and children will linger long after the event. There is something dreamlike

about this  glorious month of soccer.  Did it really happen ? We who witnessed this great event will know that we  were present. We shall often recollect these poetic emotions in moments of tranquilly.

A multitude of memories abound.  Algeria, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Brazil, England, France, Italy  Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast New Zealand. Uruguay  etc.

Memories return, elude and then return again and throw light and illuminate:

The first world cup srartd on 18th July 1930  (Mandela’s birthday).

Uruguay beat Brazil in the 1950 finals at the Maracana Stadium in  Brazil.

The stadium had a capacity of 200,000 people.

In 1954 in Switzerland , Germany beat Hungary  3-2 after being down 2 – 0.

In 1958 Pele made his triumphant entry onto the world stage and scored two goals

as Brazil defeated Sweden 5 – 2 in the finals  in Sweden.

George Hurst was England’s hero as they beat Germany 4 – 2 at Wembley. .

Maradona’s sun shone brightly as he dominated the 1986 World, and Argentina beat  West Germany 3 – 2.

In 1998 France beat Brazil 3-0 as Zidane headed two goals.

In 2006 Italy won on penalties and France’s Zinedine Zidane was sent off with a red card.

In 2010 on the continent of Africa, Spain gained their first World Cup

title when they beat Netherlands 1-0.

At the end of the day, real class won.

Spain were in a class of their own.

They belong to the peerage of Genius.

Diego Forlan has been awarded the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s best player.  Thomas Meuller won the Golden Boot  as the tournaments’ top scorer with five goals. Spain’s Iker Casillas won the Golden Glove as the top goalkeeper.

Iniesta brought glory and splendour to Spain.

We all had grave fears and apprehension a year ago. The analysts and academics

can analyse and dissect the World Cup  and view it from every conceivable angle :  international, political, economic, social, educational,  cultural,  - but I would say it

was immensely enjoyable.  It was an organizational and engineering marvel.

The event reflected an epoch and an event in one’s lifetime,

We may never see the like of it again.

The abiding memory is of thousand of tourists, supporters, fans, visitors,

in variegated  colours buzzing around Sandton and Melrose Arch and

the Malls and pleasure resorts and game Reserves  - transforming the rainbow nation into a greater kaleidoscope of colour  - each adding one more link in the mighty chain of love and friendship which the peoples of the world so laboriously build.

And the unifying factor is soccer, and the jabulani ball, and kenako,and ayoba, and the clarion call of the Vuvuzela. They all helped  - people , places, sight and sounds

-  as they accrete into a might Symphony of mellifluous music.

We have moved onto the world stage .

We are a fledgling democracy that defied odds and brought about a silent revolution.

Now we have staged the greatest show on Earth.

And the world perception is changed forever.

They  have become aware of the possibilities of a better life for all on

the continent of Africa.

“Poised between nothing and nothing ,

There floats a golden ball….”

I thought of Peter Abrahams  epigraph, but as I switched off my Tv set , I found myself unconsciously murmuring to myself :

“Or revels now are ended. These our actors,

As I foretold you, were all spirits and

Are melted into air, into thin air;

And like the baseless fabric of this vision,

The cloud-capped towers , the gorgeous palaces,

The solemn temples, the great globe itself,

Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,

And, like this insubstantial faded pageant faded ,

Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and out little life

Is rounded with  sleep.”

(The Tempest)

Written by: Yusuf  "Chubb" Garda.