South African Football

Football in South Africa
The arrival in South Africa of the formal game of football is credited to British military garrisons doted around the Cape Colony and Natal in the mid-1850s but sport had long before been an integral part of African society.

A tradition of athletic endeavour has been part of the make up of South African ethnic groups for centuries and the enthusiastic adoption of soccer by the country’s people came off the back of this heritage.

Sports like stick fighting, hunting, competitive dancing, foot races and cattle racing were all keenly entered into and have proven the foundation of the affection that most South Africans have for modern sporting codes. The country has often been described as sports mad and the roots of this have proven this to be well developed long before the arrival of colonists.

Football was brought to South Africa in the same way it was spread elsewhere in the world, through the British military and travelers from the colonial power.

Development

The ‘Cape Argus’ advertised the first match, played on August 23, 1862, between soldiers of the British garrison and employees of the colonial administration, including a youthful John X Merriman, later to become prime minister of the Cape Colony. The game was played at Green Point, which ironically now the site of a new stadium to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

Football spread widely with the influx of Britons to fight in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the first Anglo-Boer War of 1880-1881 but much of the impetus for its rapid growth in popularity is credited to a visit by the leading British amateur team, the Corinthians, in 1897.

Large crowds watched them easily beat the locals, their tactics and use of the ball an astonishing revelation. But South Africa had quick success themselves when a first national team left the country’s shores and beat both Argentina and Brazil on tour in 1906.

The sport very quickly became known to all of the country’s races, although in its infancy was still the preserve of whites with blacks enthusiastic observers.

In 1882, the South African Football Association was founded but excluded all but whites.

Segregation meant football was played exclusively within the four different racial groups and therefore separate football associations steadily formed in subsequent years.

The first recorded history of organised black football is in the Orange Free State Bantu Football Club, who went on to famously tour Britain before the turn of the 20th century.

Their side was made up of 20 players, who had a lengthy journey by steamer and were thrust straight into action just days after arrival with a match at Newcastle United. After that they played many of the leading clubs , among their opponents modern giants like Glasgow Celtic, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesborough.

With growing urbanisation, the development of the game was dramatic and migrants gave it a new flair and vigor. By the mid-1930s it had taken firm root as the most popular sport in the country, even though the government of the day preferred to have rugby union classified as South Africa’s official game

South Africa’s first
South Africa first entered a team in the qualifiers for the 1966 FIFA World Cup finals in England and were drawn in Group 16a of the qualifiers against Australia, North Korea and South Korea.

The Football Association of South Africa (Fasa) refused to entertain any thoughts of a racially mixed team to represent the country and decided instead to prepare two sides for the campaign, one side exclusively made up of white footballers and the other exclusively made up of black footballers. It had already been briefly suspended by FIFA because of the country’s Apartheid laws but had won its status back at the time of the entry process.

But with the political heat being turned up, Fasa decided they might win some political kudos if they sent a black team to represent the country in the World Cup qualifiers. It was also argued that because of the pending visits of the two Korean teams, any problem in mixing people of colour on the football pitch would be better dealt with if they pitted opponents of colour with a team of colour.

Jack Gibbons, who was coaching Rangers of Johannesburg at the time, was appointed to take charge of a 32-man squad, who began regular training sessions at Soweto’s Orlando stadium. Such was the lure of possible World Cup participation that many footballers from clubs affiliated to non-racial bodies like the South African Soccer League defected to be able to try out for Gibbon’s team. Fabled English club Arsenal spared against the selection while on their tour in 1964 and there were several high profile preparatory games against top clubs like Moroka Swallows and Orlando Pirates.

But before the qualifying matches could begin, at the FIFA Congress in Tokyo on October 8, 1964, Egypt proposed that South Africa should be suspended from the world body and were seconded by Ethiopia and Ghana. FIFA’s memebership concurred and South Africa were removed from the competition, without kicking a ball. Later South Korea also withdrew but the North Koreans went on to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in England. Left behind to follow the event on radio and in the newspapers were the disappointed black South Africans, whose number included April ‘Styles’ Phumo, later to become coach of Bafana Bafana at the 2004 African Nations Cup finals in Tunisia.

Return to international fold
It was the release of future South African president Nelson Mandela that precipitated the return of South African sports to the international arena, a considerable time before the country’s political structure were overhauled.

Football was among the first sports to be banned because of the country’s Apartheid policies but once Mandela had been released, and the transformation process got underway, the process of reintegrating South Africa into the FIFA fold went quickly.

But it was on the African front that the South Africa were first invited back into the world footballing family, asked to attend the congress of the Confederation of African Football in Dakar in January 1992 as observers.

FIFA president Joao Havelange made a visit to South Africa in April 1992 and attended a match at which a new South African national side was unveiled, although the nickname ‘Bafana Bafana’ had yet to be bestowed on them.

At the FIFA Congress in Zurich in July 2002, South Africa’s membership was restored and within days the country had entered the rigours of international competition, playing a three-match celebratory series against Cameroon. The ‘Indomitable Lions’ of Cameroon had just two years previously earlier captured the imagination of football fans worldwide by becoming the first African side to reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup in Italy.

For the only time in its history, FIFA flouted its strict rues on entry to the World Cup qualifiers and allowed South Africa to come in as a late replacement for the island nation Sao Tome e Principe, who had withdrawn from the preliminaries. They also offered the same opportunity to Namibia, which had become an independent nation two years earlier but only joined FIFA’s ranks at the same time as South Africa’s re-admission.

It was in October 1992 that South Africa made its FIFA World Cup debut, handed a tough lesson in the rigours of the international game as Nigeria hammered them 4-0 at the National stadium in Surelere, Lagos. But within four years Bafana Bafana had become African champions in 1998 qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals in France.

African Nations Cup triumph
It was towards the end of 1995 that Kenya belatedly pulled out of the hosting of the African Nations Cup tournament set for the following year.

It was a decision that left the Confederation of African Football turning to newcomers South Africa as emergency hosts.

With just over 12 months to prepare, South Africa had to rush to put plans in place, taking on the task in the knowledge that Africa’s top competition had just been expanded from its traditional field of 12 finalists to 16.

Johannesburg’s Soccer City was designated as the venue for the opening game and the final with Durban’s King’s Park stadium, the Boet Erasmus stadium in Port Elizabeth and the Free State stadium in Bloemfontein designated as the other venues. For the first time, an African Nations Cup finals tournament was to played in more than three different venues.

But the tournament received a late setback when defending champions, and hot favourites, Nigeria withdrew. It left the field down to 15 teams but the absence of the Super Eagles was quickly forgotten as Bafana Bafana got off to a rousing start with a 3-0 triumph over Cameroon.

After two matches, Clive Barker’s team was through to the quarterfinals, which meant they rested key players for the last group match, which they lost to Egypt.

The knockout stages brought the tournament alive with some pulsating games including a dramatic late win for South Africa over a physically resilient Algerian side in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, surprise packages Tunisia and Zambia met in Durban while Bafana Bafana were up against the formidable Ghana, who were seeking to win the title for a record fifth time.

On a balmy night at Soccer City, packed to the rafters with expectant fans, South Africa turned on one of their best ever performances, trouncing the Black Stars 3-0 to book their place in the final.

Four days later came the deciding game, where the tension overshadowed the quality of football as both South Africa and Tunisia went out in search of their first continental title.

It took until the last 20 minutes before Bafana Bafana broke the resistance of their opponents, with Mark Williams scoring twice in as many minutes for a glory-filled home triumph.

The result was not only South Africa’s first major international trophy but also provided a major fillip for the sport throughout the country, a boost that was to last more than a decade.
 
Bafana at their first ever World Cup
South Africa’s first ever World Cup match was a 4-0 thumping at the hands of the formidable Super Eagles of Nigeria in October, 1992 but Bafana Bafana proved quick learners after their induction to the rigours of international football.

The South African national team bounced back from the harsh welcome to the world’s biggest sporting event to, within five years, earning a place at the finals.

Indeed, South Africa had only been back in the international fold for six years when they took up their place among the 32 finalists at the 1998 World Cup finals in France.

South Africa qualified after a dramatic campaign which included beating arch rivals Zambia 3-0 in their penultimate qualifier and then overcoming Congo-Brazzaville in a dramatic final group match.

South Africa needed only avoid defeat to finish top of the standings but were given a tough fight by the Congolese. However an extraordinary goal from striker Phil Masinga, whose rocket-like shot from long range dipped wickedly before beating the opposing goalkeeper to ensure South Africa won the game.

Soccer City was packed for the match and the atmosphere in the final quarter-hour when fans began to celebrate World Cup qualification has never since been matched in a South African stadium.

The World Cup was preceded by intense preparation, including a trip to Argentina and a training camp in Germany’s Black Forest.

But against hosts France, and in unseasonably cold weather, South Africa’s debut at the finals proved a major disappointment.

Defensive errors, including two own goals, saw Bafana Bafana go down 3-0 in Marseille.

A credible draw with Denmark in Toulouse allowed South Africa a chance to progress to the second round but they needed to beat Saudi Arabia in their last game in Bordeaux. But Bafana Bafana were forced to come from behind and ended going out after a 2-all draw with the Saudis.

The organisation of South African football
South African football is riding the crest of a wave since the country’s designation as the host of the 2010 World Cup finals.

It has seen the country’s most popular game attract unprecedented commercial and media interest and elevate itself into an industry worth billions.

This year the Premier Soccer League has signed a television deal worth R1.6-billion and a new title sponsor who will pay some R500-milliion for the privilege of aligning their products with the game.

The South African Football Association (Safa) also completed a similar deal with two sponsors to bankroll the activities of the national team as they prepare to play in the 2010 World Cup finals.

Safa is the controlling body of the game in South Africa, with full membership of FIFA, the game’s international controlling body, and the regional organisations, the Confederation of African Football and the Council of South African Football Associations.

Safa controls both the professional and amateur game in the country. Worldwide, amateur footballers make up more than 98 percent of all active participants.

Safa’s membership is made up of provincial and regional affiliates who elect the organisation’s leadership every four years. It also has affiliated groups of women’s footballers, referees, indoor football, which is known as a futsal, and beach soccer.

Safa is the body that enters South Africa’s representative teams in the various international competitions, like the World Cup, African Nations Cup and the myriad of age group events.

It is also Safa who led to the bid to host the 2010 World Cup, although it established a separately functioning Bidding Committee. Now that South Africa is to host the event, a separate Local Organising Committee.

South Africa’s greatest stars
South Africa has delivered a myriad of top class footballers consistently over the decades but never have they had the opportunities the current generation enjoys.

There are almost 50 South African footballers playing at clubs around the world, many of them in top leagues.

But South Africans have competed for leading clubs for more than half a century now, even if many others were deprived of the opportunity of international exposure because of Apartheid-enforced isolation.

The debate over who is the greatest South African footballer ever remains a subjective issue and provokes regular argument wherever football fans congregate.

The likes of Pule ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe and Jomo Sono, Kaizer Motaung and Lucas Radebe are most often mentioned but others like Nelson ‘Teenage’ Dladla, Marks Maponyane, Sibusiso Zuma, Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy are also among fan favourites.

Ntsoelengoe and Sono competed head to head for trophies and fan affection for more than three decades. More than 200 goals and a myriad of trophies makes Ntsoelengoe the most successful ever, his dominant form with Kaizer Chiefs leading the club to its role now as the country’s most popular side.

Ntsoelengoe, who died in 2006 aged 50, is the only South Africa to feature in the US Soccer Hall of Fame despite the fact that many of his countrymen traveled with him between 1969 and 1985 to play in the North American Soccer League.

Sono was a contemporary of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at New York Cosmos while Motaung was the trailblazer for the significant migration to the USA when he was signed to play for the Atlanta Chiefs. In his first season, he was named Rookie of the Year.

In Europe, McCarthy is the only South African to have won a winners’ medal in the UEFA Champions League, generally regarded as the globe’s best club competition.
He helped the Portuguese club FC Porto to win the title in 2004 and was also a trophy winner in Portugal and with Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam.

Other South Africans like Nasief Morris, Steven Pienaar and Zuma have helped their clubs to win league championships in various European countries.

In the 1930s, Gordon Hodgson set goal scoring records in England for Liverpool and after World War II the likes of John Hewie and Don Kitchenbrand were among the top performers in British football.

Albert Johanneson became the first black footballer to play in a FA Cup final when he featured for Leeds United in their 2-1 loss to Liverpool in 1965.

Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates
It can be said without a doubt that a match between these two Soweto giants is one of the greatest derbies in the world of football – a game that is widely known as The Soweto Derby.

The Soweto Derby has a history of sparking local and international interests. The two sides boast massive support nationally, continentally and internationally.

The game recently made history for being the first ever South African match to be televised on Eurosport, Europe's largest sports satellite and cable network.

Women’s football
Just over a decade ago, women playing football were regarded with widespread disdain and suspicion in many places on the African continent.

Conservative and traditional attitudes to the role of women in society, prescribed against sporting activity, but such has been the marked progress of the game, and change in attitudes, that now there are few places now where women do not get a chance to compete in the world’s most popular game.

Certainly in South Africa, growing support for women’s football has ensured competitive standards and new organisational structures for women, notably in youth development where none had existed before.

South Africa have been stalwarts of the women’s game in Africa since its establishment, having twice hosted the African women’s championships and competed in almost all the international qualifying competitions.

The national team is nicknamed ‘Banyana Banyana’ and played its first international in May, 1993, beating Swaziland 14-0 at Milpark in Johannesburg. The result remains a record for any South African representative team.

Since, the South African women’s national team has won two Cosafa women’s championships, and participated in five successive African women’s championships. Their best-ever finish was reaching the final in 2000 when they lost to Nigeria in Vosloorus.

In 2001, South Africa introduced an under-19 age group national team for women and is now entered to play at under-17 level in the qualifiers for the first ever women’s under-17 world championship in New Zealand in mid-2008.

In 2006, South African striker Portia Modise was chosen to play for the World Xi at the women’s World Cup draw in Wuhan, China. She was also a finalists for the annual African women’s’ Footballer of the Year award.

The captain of the first-ever national women’s team, Desiree Ellis, now serves as an ambassador for South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup finals.

The future
South African football has never sat in a brighter spot as it looks to the 2010 World Cup finals and beyond.

The game has long been the most popular in the country and has already received a massive boost with the hosting of the world’s biggest single sporting event in mid-2010.
A massive infrastructure overhaul means that South African soccer facilities will be among the best in the world.

Not only are 10 stadium being built or extensively overhauled for the 2010 World Cup finals but a myriad of other venues are being fixed up for training facilities during the tournament.

This includes iconic stadium like the Orlando stadium in Soweto, the Super stadium in Atteridgeville near Pretoria and Cape Town’s Athlone stadium. All of these serve as regular venues for South African Premier Soccer League matches but have now been lifted to a level of comfort and accessibility previously denied because the venues were in deprived areas.

Spectators can now watch matches in the townships in top quality facilities, although higher profile games will still be hosted in generously-appointed venues like Soccer City, Ellis Park and the new stadiums being built in Cape Town and Durban.

The massive interest in football ahead of the World Cup has already seen a lucrative money windfall for the professional game in the country.

The Premier Soccer League has just received a R500-million sponsorship from a major banking group in a five year deal that stretches past the 2010 World Cup finals.

The country’s national team, Bafana Bafana, has also received a similar amount to prepare for the finals.

The attraction of the local league is also reflected in a milestone live football coverage deal worth R1.6-billion.

The money is split by the clubs, who use the grants for their traveling and running expenses. They now how far bigger budgets, which many are investing in youth development.

Most leading South African clubs now run academies, meaning there is better and more formal training for the country’s up and coming youthful talent.

It is expected that the World Cup will prove a further stimulus for a sport which already has a massive profile in the country.

Clubs will be hoping for increased attendances on the back of the World Cup. It is also likely the international profile of South African football will receive a major fillip.