World Cup 2010

marquez brake south african hearts when he 

equalised in the 79th minitue

All week long Bafana Bafana's followers had been preaching belief, but there were still plenty of sceptics around here.

Brazil's World Cup winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira may have guided South Africa's football team on a 12-match unbeaten run going into Friday's World Cup opener against Mexico, but the doubters felt scalps like Thailand and a draw with Japan wasn't something to crow about.

They didn't believe in magic.They so nearly were turned into converts on Friday, but in the end, a 1-1 draw between the two Group A protagonists was a fair result, as the 2010 World Cup finals came alive on the pitch after an intense week-long build-up that have left many expecting great things from the 19th edition of the tournament.

South African President Jacob Zuma called it Africa's World Cup, when he declared the tournament open minutes before kick off.


The organisers will be licking their lips at the prospect of the continent's first World Cup becoming one of the special editions in the history of the event after a pulsating first game that threw up numerous chances and great end-to-end action.


Mingling with the crowd at Nelson Mandela Square on the eve of the match, some Mexican fans told me their team were talented, played mostly good football but, as always, tended to be wasteful in front of goal.


Those fans, among the 90,000-odd at Soccer City Stadium on Friday, would have nodded their head in frustration time and again in the first half as their favourites dissected the South African defence on a number of occasions, only to fluff their chances and leave coach Javier Aguirre catatonic on the touch-line.


Arsenal striker Carlos Vela and twinkled-toed ex-Barcelona attacker Giovani Dos Santos terrified the hosts' defence, and with Mexico skipper Gerardo Torrado spraying accurate passes long and short, the vuvuzelas on the terraces were strangely muffled.


Somehow, Bafana Bafana went into the break unscathed, and as has been repeated so many times in the tournament since the first World Cup in 1930, the better team were punished for their profligacy in front of goal.


A stunning move in the heart of midfield in the 55th minute led to the excellent Teko Modise releasing Siphiwe Tshabalala with a sumptuous pass.


And with a thunderbolt finish that brought back memories of the great Brazilian defender Josimar, Tshabalala sent a whole country into a frenzy. 


This time it was South Africa who began to carve out gilt-edged chances, only to draw groans from the crowd as they failed to seal what would have been a crucial win.


With 11 minutes to go, Mexico sent a nation into despair when Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez fired home from close range after the home side's defence went to sleep.


Katlego Mphela so nearly became a South African hero near the end but one-on-one with the 'keeper, his effort hit the post to ensure the spoils were shared.


At least the result meant the two sets of fans who got on so well together at Nelson Mandela Square in the build-up to the game would remain united in song at the post-game party, still dreaming of a place in the last 16.


And the Rainbow Nation waits to see South Africa's next game on Wednesday against Uruguay, hoping for match-winning magic, Bafana Bafana style. 






The writer is executive sports editor at MediaCorp NewsHub.