MONDAY, 8.30AM:
SOUTH AFRICAN soccer officials were delirious this weekend after Bafana Bafana beat Congo 1-0 on Saturday in a scrappy game, taking the country into the world cup finals in Paris.
Soccer chief executive Danny Jordaan said: “In my opinion this was the greatest sporting achievement in the history of South African sport. We have created a soccer miracle a mere five years after being readmitted to world soccer.”
The team’s entry into soccer’s most prestigious competition is more than a morale booster. The soccer federation stands to net some R9,3 million, which it will use to encourage grassroots development of the game. Yesterday, Jordaan already pledged to give R100 000 to each of the 25 soccer regions for this purpose. More sponsors are also expected to climb on to the bafana Bafana bandwagon, which will mean more money for soccer.
The game itself was nail-bitingly exciting, but not a particularly good game of soccer. The Congo team gave the South Africans unexpectedly strong opposition, until a brilliant goal from Phil Masinga won the match. Critics noted poor finishing by the forwards, and a lack of communication between the midfielders. Both captian Lucas Radebe and Shaun Bartlett were shown the yellow card and are automatically suspended for one game.