Andrew Muchineripi Soccer
When the dust had settled on the 1998 World Cup tournament in France, the editor of respected English magazine World Soccer did what every journalist does and selected his dream team. He chose the extrovert Jos Chilavert (Paraguay) as goalkeeper, and the back four included Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly (France), Frank de Boer (Holland) and Robert Jarni (Croatia).
Juan Veron (Argentina), Edgar Davids (Holland), Zineddine Zidane (France) and Rivaldo (Brazil) were the midfielders, and the strike force consisted of Ronaldo (Brazil) and Christian Vieri (Italy).
While few of the many journalists privileged to be in France would pick an identical team, one must concede that the choice of Gavin Hamilton is pretty awesome, to say the least.
I hardly need to add that there were many other stars like goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar (Holland), full-back Roberto Carlos (Brazil), nimble midfielder Augustine “Jay Jay” Okocha (Nigeria) and striker Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina).
So when the South African Football Association (Safa) announced some time ago that a World XI would be coming to Johannesburg for a Nelson Mandela farewell match there was considerable excitement in the Muchineripi household.
No, I did not expect all the names mentioned above to descend on Ellis Park next Tuesday evening. That would have been unrealistic given the extraordinary demands on modern soccer stars. But I did expect at least one superstar like Ronaldo or Zidane or Davids or Rivaldo, a footballer who would place bottoms in the 68 000 seats at the Doornfontein venue on his own.
Boy, was this humble member of the Muchineripi clan, whose ambitions extend no further than tending to his cattle and satisfying the demands of the sports editor of your favourite newspaper, dreaming.
I am a greying, ageing soul with sufficient knowledge of the beautiful game to politely inform you that, whatever the spin doctors or sycophants may say, the team we will witness next week is far removed from a World XI.
Madiba, the man who wore the number-nine shirt of Neil Tovey during our triumphant 1996 African Nations Cup campaign, deserves better. A political superstar deserves to meet some football superstars.
Apportioning blame is not on my agenda. I have no axe to grind with Safa or world football governing body Fifa. I am sure it was the wish of both organs that a Ronaldo would join the party in Johannesburg.
In a sense, they are victims of their own decrees because it is officials, and not players, who have created the almost intolerable fixture overload that threatens the very survival of the game we adore so much.
While the 1999/2000 Italian Serie A season has not begun, it is safe to assume that Ronaldo, Batistuta and company are busy preparing following an all-too-short break from the rigours of the toughest league in the game.
What we have in their place is an assortment of footballers, some good, some average and some I have never heard of – like goalkeeper Louis Crayton (Liberia)
and midfielder Eduardo Hartado (Ecuador).
Defenders Stig Bjornbye (Norway) and Rigobert Song (Cameroon) are certain starters, according to Fifa. This is not surprising – neither made the starting line-up when Liverpool beat Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.
Striker Jean-Pierre Papin (France) has retired from international and club football and was last seen kicking a ball about on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion. His partner, Abedi Pele (Ghana), is one of the greatest footballers produced by Mother Africa, but he has also quit the international scene and plays for a club in the Middle East kingdom of Qatar.
More encouraging is the confirmation that African Footballer of the Year Mustapha Hadji (Morocco) is coming to town. He recently joined English Premier League club Coventry City from Deportivo la Coruna of Spain for R40-million.
Jorge Campos (Mexico) is a good goalkeeper and a colourful character and all Bafana Bafana supporters are fully aware of the skills Carlos Dunga (Brazil) and Thomas Hassler (Germany) bring to midfield.
In my dreams, though, I hope Safa or Fifa can pull a rabbit out of the hat and convince a superstar that his presence is required at a special moment in the history of South African football.
Thank you, Madiba, for your genuine support of our boys since assuming the highest office in the land five years ago. Thank you, Madiba, for inspiring Bafana Bafana to conquer Africa and reach the World Cup.
The Muchineripi clan surely echoes the thoughts of all soccer-loving South Africans in wishing you an enjoyable evening come Tuesday.
May the people come in great numbers to support you, and may the stars entertain you.