The World Cup's TEN great miracles: from affable Afrikaners to triumphant trumpets

Africa’s first World Cup is coming to a glorious climax. We have seen so much to wonder at, we have seen so many problems surmounted, so many great goals, so much scintillating football, so many poor refereeing decisions, so many dreams shattered.

The World Cup that was supposed to collapse in chaos has risen above the carping doom-sayers. As I have said from the start, it could turn out to be the best yet. Every night for a month, the eyes of the world have been upon the Rainbow Nation. And I have yet to meet an unhappy travelling fan... Algerian, America, English, Italian, Slovenian, Brazilian. Believe me, I have spoken to footballing pilgrims from around the world.

Okay, the pitch at Port Elizabeth wasn’t perfect. Some of the park-and-ride facilities have required a stiff hike after the whistle. Polokwane and Nelspruit, just two of the wonderful new stadiums on offer, may never see the like again.

And Sepp Blatter is still a dictator with one eye firmly on the profit margins.

But now I think we must address the truly miraculous elements of South Africa 2010. The unexpected realities that must be examined before 22 gladiators meet for their life-or-death struggle at Soccer City on Sunday. As the Romans might have said: Incredibili (that’s unbelievable in Latin).

1 Affable Afrikaners

Not known for their love of footballers (or anyone else for that matter) the lost white tribe of Africa take No1 spot purely for their stoicism. Having had their rugby ground in Pretoria stolen by the World Cup (their beloved Blue Bulls had to play the Super 15 final in Soweto just before the big kick-off) our bearded friends (men and women) have somehow taken this whole African festival of footie on the chin. Having just read a particularly nasty little fascist newspaper called “The Afrikaner”, which offers only the prospect of post-Apartheid apocalypse, I swear this is true: When Paraguay bored the pants off Japan at Loftus Versfeld last week, a family of Afrikaners were attempting to master the Vuvuzela in front of me. The mum just couldn’t get it right. She sounded like a chronic case of flatulence. So the black couple next to them offered help. And the black kids further along. By the end of the game they were taking pictures of each other in warm embrace. The mum told me afterwards: “That was such fun. I’ve never really been to a social event with blecks.” And that was just one incident among dozens. Onbewaarbaar (that’s unbelievable in Afrikaans).

2 Jabulani joy

After a month of being told how the new adidas ball is far too light and impossible to control, we finally get to Cape Town and the Holland v Uruguay semi-final. By this time, only two Japanese free-kicks in the space of five minutes against Denmark had really shown any great potential. Then Gio van Bronkhorst, the Dutch captain who is nearly as old as Jan van Riebeeck, hits one from about thirty yards. If the net hadn’t been there to stop it, the superlight Jabulani may have ended up happily on Robben Island. An absolute scorcher. Later we had Diego Forlan hitting one which bent all over the place. How Gavin Cowley, the adidas spokesman behind the Jabulani, must have smiled. Nothing wrong with this ball. Just took a bit of getting used to. And consider the profit it has made around the globe after all those headlines. Unglaublich (that’s unbelievable in German).

3 Fantastic fanatics

I’ve mentioned before the incredible scenes when the US pipped Algeria with a last-minute Landon Donovan goal to top Group C. The Yanks couldn’t believe their luck. Mad celebration which culiminated in the striker from Hull Jozy Altidor going over the fence to clasp the Stars and Stripes. Right in front of the massed ranks of Algerians, north African Muslims to a man (and woman). Did they react? Barely a whisper. They smiled and clapped as their American rivals, not all that popular in the Muslim world, enjoyed their moment. Had Jozy celebrated like that at the New Den, Millwall fans may have offered a few oaths. Even the odd oaf. But Pretoria remained peaceful. Scenes like that have been replayed all over South Africa; Uruguayan joy, African misery; German jubilation, English desolation; Dutch delight, Brazilian disbelief. And not a fight in sight. Increíble (that’s unbelievable in Spanish).

4 Mandela magic

The father of this Rainbow Nation has not been well enough to play a public role in proceedings. On the day the tournament kicked-off his great-grand-daughter died in a car accident on the way home from the opening concert. But still Nelson Mandela’s magic pervades this World Cup, our world. Time after time, the name of Madiba crops up to unify the people, to make them proud, to provide a reference point. He may not even be aware of it. Long before this tournament began, I was told FIFA had a contingency plan in place should his incredible life come to an end. But somehow he has endured. And you know he’s loving every minute with this once-divided nation on show to billions around the planet. Long may it continue. Ngakholeki(yo) (that’s unbelievable in Xhosa).

5 Maradona manners

Dodgy Diego was doing so well. His Argentina side appeared ready to go all the way. Loving it in the spotlight, he told us: “You said I couldn’t coach, but we are winning.” And they were, in style, despite those curious coaching sessions with Argies pelting the Jabulani at each other’s exposed bottoms at the Pretoria University High Performance Centre. King Diego sat astride his mighty throne (the specially imported R45,000 bidet-toilets he had demanded for his room) and waved to the crowds so much he might have injured his wrist. And then Germany came along and put four past them in the quarter-finals. Smaller men might have been rude to the media, bitten their dog, turned to illicit substances or taken a shot at a reporter. But Diego held it together: “I'm as disappointed as all Argentines. To see my country lose a football match is very hard for someone who has worn the shirt.” Unfasslick (that’s also German for unbelievable).

6 Richie Rich

Rich Mkhondo was the sacrificial lamb put in charge of communications by FIFA before this World Cup began. Despite nearly 50 years as an author and journalist, Rich told me back in Janauary during the cricket tour that he knew exactly how tough his task was going to be. Sepp Blatter’s bunch have never been the most popular people and here he was, the kid from Katlehong, supposed to defend them to the hilt. But as the stories of bloodbaths, gangs, crime and deadly snakes ripped into his nation from around the world did Richie howl “unfair” and banish all foreign journalists? Never! When the nation cried foul as FIFA got it wrong time and again, did our Richie look disheartened? Never! And here we are, close to the finish line. And the bloke I remember so well from Rhodes University and the Rand Daily Mail all those years ago is able to tell us this World Cup has been a roaring success. This week, the predicted influx of rand-rich fans is headed towards the half-a-million mark. Mighty Mkhondo assured us: "We are confident that we will surpass the number of 450 000 that we initially predicted. And there’s still a few days to go.” Nswempu (that’s Zulu for unbelievable).

7 Dutch delight

I said before this tournament began that Holland, with Europe’s two best players (Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder and Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, they met at the Champions League final) were the best outside bet at 12-1 with Paddy Power. Now unbeaten in a record 25 games and currently on a streak of 10 successive wins, the lurid orange glow has lit up this tournament. They’ve never won it before, and my Olympic experiences at Sydney and Athens suggest they will travel in great numbers, despite a lack of available flights. The final looms and Arsenal’s lethal Robin Van Persie is just starting to turn it on after injury. In a country settled by Dutch pioneer Jan van Riebeeck and still inhabited by over ten million who speak a form of their language, the whole thing is, well... ongelofelijk (that’s Dutch for unbelievable).

8 Trumpet triumphant

The much-derided Vuvuzela was supposed to ruin this World Cup. Critics with ear-plugs from around the world lined up to call for a blanket ban. Or just a blanket. But the sound of South Africa 2010 refused to go away. Then the Vuvuzela turned up at a baseball game in Florida. And at the European Formula One Grand Prix in Valencia. It was banned from the Pamplona bull run in Spain but emerged unscathed to become a specialised button on the website YouTube. Push it, and you get a belligerent blast. Now it is selling out around the world. A simple plastic horn designed only to enhance the atmosphere at poorly attended local football games. Paaaaaarp (that’s Vuvuzela for unbelievable).

9 Superstars splattered

Wayne Rooney. Cristiano Ronaldo. The appropriately named Kaka. Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka. The holders Italy. Ah, how the mighty have fallen, as they so often do in African skirmishes. Just google Isandlwana (1979 was another bad year for England). Who could have predicted they would all be at home, licking their wounds and watching the final on television? This is just what football needed: a slap in the face for the overpaid superstars of football. Leave it instead to tiny Holland to carry the banner. Or the young, unfancied Germans. And let the glory belong to Ghana, who were denied an historic place in the last four only by the hand of Luis Suarez. In the end, all three “Hand of God” exponents were laid low. Suarez, Maradona... and Henry. Dochreidte (that’s unbelievable in Irish).

10 SuperSport sizzles

Thomas Mlambo is South Africa’s real World Cup winner. Watched by a huge domestic audience as the SABC struggles, SuperSport presenter Thomas Sipho Mlambo started out as an in-store announcer for a local shopping chain in Johannesburg. Now he’s the authentic voice of African football. Dealing with anything from the age-wearied cynicism of Terry “It wasn’t a great game” Paine, the sharp insights of John “I can also do rap” Barnes and a host of guests from all over the globe, “Big Brother” never stops smiling. A former Wits footballer before his knees packed up, tee-total Mlambo wants to get married, own a Maserati and settle down. Or so he says. As long as he doesn’t stop talking football. They said South Africa couldn’t cover a World Cup properly, let alone host the event. As Thomas says so often through that glittering smile... unbelieeeeeevable (that’s SuperSport for unbelievable).

Mexico 2 France 0 and Thierry Henry can only sit on his hands

Okay, here’s the Group A scenario. France and South Africa, for obvious reasons, will be desperate to beat each other when they conclude their currently winless campaigns in Bloemfontein on June 22. They have only a point apiece to show for their efforts so far.

About 500 miles away in Rustenburg, Uruguay will play Mexico. Both have four points. And the bitter truth for 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up France and hosts South Africa is this: if the Americans play out a quiet goalless draw, it doesn’t matter who beats who at the Free State Stadium.

I tell you one group of neutrals who may have had smiling eyes last night as Mexico produced this nightmare scenario with a 2-0 win over France. The Irish. They were put out, as I might have mentioned before, by Thierry Henry’s outrageous handball which clinched the play-off in Paris last November.

And there he was in at a packed Peter Mokabe Stadium in freezing Polokwane yesterday, in his beanie hate, reduced to the role of spectator. A mere bench warmer, on a night when warmth was at a premium. Left to sit on his hands, as it were.

The Hand of Frog unable to alter this cruel state of affairs. The inquest into Raymond Domenech’s final weeks in charge will begin in the morning, with gusto. Laurent Blanc takes over Les Bleus after this World Cup and, from what we’ve been hearing, he can’t arrive too soon.

What was last night all about? The French, like many others, appeared to scared to hit their free-kicks with any va-va-voom because they keep ballooning over the bar. That’s understandable, a trend in a tournament when the infamous Jabulani leaves us without a single undeflected long-range goal.

But not to trouble the Mexican goalkeeper all night? Frightening, with a side full of millionaires. Mexico, a team of terriers, simply made them look like has-beens. Or never-weres. The Republic of Ireland could hardly have been worse. And we know what a craick their fans would have had over here.

Mexico deserved victory, if only for the sheer tempo at which they played this one. A sharper linesman might have called Javier Hernandez off-side when he broke clear in the 63^rd minute to beat the goalkeeper and score.

But then Eric Abidal upended Pablo Berrera and the fussy Saudi Arabian referee Al Ghamdi gave the spot kick. Veteran sub Cuauhtemoc Blanco, with the longest run-up you’ve ever seen for a penalty, rammed it home.

Tottenham’s Giovanni Dos Santos, currently on loan at Turkey, was simply magnificent. Harry Redknapp must give the Mexican Billy Whizz another go. Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery flattered to deceive, unable to make anything work down the left for France. Chelsea’s Florent Malouda was invisible, Arsenal’s Abou Diabi absent.

Another fascinating night. An absorbing day seven. We’ve had 14 goals in four second round games after the dour opening clashes. This is how it’s going to be from now on. Life and death. Until, perhaps, the fateful game between Mexico and Uruguay. That may be drawn and quartered.

And now the French, like the hosts, must sweat until June 22. When even a win may not be enough.

Khune ready to do it all over again as South Africa prepare to play Uruguay

South Africa’s once-fragile goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, so nearly impenetrable at Soccer City’s big kick-off against Mexico last Friday, has to do it all over again at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow.

When South Africa play Uruguay, the whole tournament will be turned up a notch. After endless cautious opening group games around the Rainbow Nation, the hosts will be the first to play their second game at this World Cup.

Traditionally the first game is all about not wanting to lose. South Africa and Uruguay both drew their openings games, and a win becomes imperative if either side is to emerge from Group A.

Goalkeeper Khune, outstanding in the 1-1 draw in front of 85,000 hysterical fans on day one, goes into day six saying: "I can’t quite describe how it was in that opening game. It’s one of those moments you need to experience yourself to understand.

"When you are a goalkeeper you have responsibilities - I needed to make the saves for the team.”

Given the goalkeeping errors in the tournament so far – most notably Rob Green’s appalling error for England in their 1-1 draw against the US last Saturday – Khune knows the pressure is on with the light Jabulani ball misbehaving at altitude.

But he told the Kaizer Chiefs website: "It wasn’t just me who contributed against Mexico, I feel the whole team played well. But we have to be even better against Uruguay.”

With World Cup fever (locally known as “feva”) sweeping the country, the 22-year-old, 5ft 11in stopper says: “I think anything is possible with the nation behind us. We are more than ready for this World Cup. We will go out there to do our best for the country.”

He certainly has what every goalkeeper requires. Safe hands. As the son of a miner in Tshing, just outside Ventersdorp, he was ready to become a cricketer. One of six children, Khune idolised the South African cricketers – and still enjoys watching the Proteas. He says: “Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener used to be my favourites when I was growing up. As a kid in Ventersdorp we used to have a rubbish bin as the wickets and use a spade as the bat.”

He only chose football at the tender age of 12 when Kaizer Chiefs – South Africa’s best-supported club - came calling in 1999. Khune recalls: “When we were kids we used to gather at a disused hall before classes and kick a tennis ball around. After school it was the same thing.”

Travelling to the Chiefs academy was a problem. He said: “My parents were not happy because I would only arrive home late at night. Sometimes I had to sleep at the train station as I couldn’t get home. There wasn’t food, there wasn’t money, but we had to accept the situation.”

Khune was a defender back then. He did well in trials – chosen as the 32^nd best player on the day, that’s still the number he wears - but chest problems relegated him to ball boy status. And his enthusiastic diving for the loose ball attracted the attention of Chiefs’ veteran goalkeeper Brian Baloyi “my mentor, on and off the field”. By 2004, aged 17, he was training with the first team.

Three years later, Khune got the nod as Chiefs’ regular No1 when Rowen Fernandez left for Germany’s Arminia Bielefeld and Emile Baron was forced out by injury. He made his local Premier Soccer League debut against Jomo Cosmos in 2007 and immediately impressed, forcing his way into the national squad where he made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2008.

A broken finger put Khune out for three months this season but World Cup-winning Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has stuck with the lad who famously saved a penalty from David Villa during last year’s Confederations Cup.

Khune prepares to add to his 30 caps by defying Uruguay before the final game against France in Bloemfontein on June 22. The hosts have never failed to qualify for the knock-out stages at a World Cup but Khune insists: “We are the hosts, we shouldn’t be worried about anybody, they should be worried about us.

"We can go out there and upset these countries, but we have to realise they won't make it easy for us."

I’ve watched Khune in all five pre-World Cup friendly matches and that Mexico opener, often with former South Africa goalkeeper Deshi Bhaktawer beside me. We had our doubts. He was groggy after an early clash in the 2-1 win over Colombia three weeks ago and was taken off at half-time. But the 1-0 win over Denmark in Atteridgeville was a major turning point for the slightly lightweight goalkeeper and most of his colleagues.

Khune’s distribution, innovative and rapid, has to be seen to be believed – a real lesson for any aspiring custodian. He has that slight “vampire” weakness... an aversion to crosses, but has worked hard on dominating the area.

The Mexico game was another giant stride forward for Khune and his Kaizer Chiefs team-mates. Super-fit midfielders Siphile Tshabala, Teko Modise and Reneilwe YeYe Letsholonyane – who all play for South Africa’s biggest club - outshone their illustrious counterpart Kevin Pienaar, player of the year at Everton last season.

While Pienaar confessed to “tiredness”, Khune was near-perfect against the Mexicans and could do little about the equaliser after Tshabalala’s superb opening goal, still the best we’ve seen at this tournament.

South Africa go into the Uruguay game on a high. They are unbeaten in 13 games since Parreira agreed to return to the hottest seat in football, they are fitter than any side I’ve seen – some of the players have lost 6kg (over two stone) since the first harsh training camp in Brazil three months ago.

Like Guus Hiddink’s ferociously fit hosts South Korea in 2002, Parreira has chosen the “fit as a robber’s dog” philosophy too. And remember, Korea got to the last four eight years ago.

Khune, like the rest of this football-mad nation, is starting to believe. He said: "We have the advantage of our home supporters, the whole nation will be behind us. In our camp, we believe nothing is impossible. Nothing will be the same after the World Cup.”

And on the thorny subject of the African football horn, he grins: “There weren’t enough Vuvuzelas at Soccer City. We appeal to the South Africans to please bring more vuvuzelas to Loftus.

“We want to hear the sound of vuvuzelas reverberating in all our matches. The more the sound of vuvuzelas, the better for us. We always feel good when we hear the sound of the vuvuzelas.”

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his first novel, A GAME APART, which has hit No15 on Amazon's African best-sellers list. For more information, see http://www.nealcollins.co.uk.

And if you think the Scottish bagpipes should be banned rather than the Vuvuzela, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1hrMRk5FnY

Spector of defeat looms for England, says the very average US full-back from West Ham

JONATHAN SPECTOR, a little-known American who carves out a living as a journeyman full back with London Premier League club West Ham, insists the opening match against England in Phokeng tomorrow will be the USA’s “easiest match” in Group C.

With Slovenia and Algeria to come, Spector – sent out on loan to Charlton after three games for Manchester United before his move to the Hammers in 2005 - said: “It's our easiest game. There will be some great bragging rights in England next season if we manage to win."

"There is a quiet confidence in the US team," Spector, 24 with 25 caps, told the BBC World Service's Sportsworld programme. "There are no expectations in the US so the only pressure comes from ourselves. We are not expected to get anything from it where as the other two games there will be pressure.

"We have captured the attention of the general public in the United States and we would like to keep their attention by doing well at the World Cup."

England may be a little wound up by Spector’s assessment before the eagerly awaited clash at the Bafokeng Palace Stadium, where the surface is like a billiard table and the 8.30pm (7.30pm) kick off will take place after sunset with cold conditions arguably favouring Fabio Capello’s men despite the altitude.

The US, based a mile from my base at the Irene Lodge in Centurion, go on to play dark horses Slovenia in Johannesburg on 18 July before their final group game against Algeria – who put out African champions Egypt - in Pretoria five days later.

Drawing on their impressive form when they reached the Confederations Cup final in South Africa last year (and beat Euro champions Spain), confidence is extraordinarily high in a nation famous for shocking England at the Brazilian World Cup in 1950.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu got in on the Spector act, ignoring England’s world ranking of eight, six ahead of the US in 14. After impressive friendly wins over Turkey in Philadelphia and Australia at the Ruimsig Stadium near Johannesburg, he said: “With our performances and results last summer, we gained a little bit more respect in the world. It gives you a confidence and the realisation we are playing at the highest level and can compete with the best teams in the world.

"The Confederations Cup was last year. This Saturday is the World Cup and it is a completely different monster.

"It is a different entity. But the experience we picked up can only help us going into this tournament.

"England are a very good team with very good players but it is about how those players play together and that is going to be the important deciding factor. Our expectations are to get a win."

Follow me on Twitter: nealcol

South Africa hit hard by World Cup fever in Tembisa and Magaliesburg

WORLD CUP fever hit South Africa hard yesterday with a stampede at one pre-tournament friendly leaving several injured while 20,000 brought the tiny village of Magaliesburg to a standstill for the arrival of Portugal.

The more serious incident occurred before the warm-up game between Nigeria and North Korea which left many fans trampled underfoot at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa, which houses around 10,000 fans.

In the scenic Magaliesburg mountains, the rush to see Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portugal side arrive in South Africa saw riot police and mounted officers move in to clear access.

Both situations derive from huge migrant populations – South Africa is home to a huge Nigerian population since democracy dawned in 1994 while the nation has long been home to a significant population of Portuguese descent.

The Oliver Tambo International airport near Johannesburg was mobbed by nearly 5,000 fans who threatened to overwhelm security as Portugal landed yesterday morning. They lined the long road to the team’s Magaliesburg base at Valley Lodge and their training pitch at Bekker school in a solid red tide.

Only 2,000 tickets to Portugal’s first training session were handed out – mostly to locals - while 20,000 attempted to gain access. Though local restaurants and bars may have achieved record profits, there were brief flare-ups between fans and security as the session – described as “open to the public” in the local press – drew unprecedented crowds.

Traffic jams stretched for miles towards both Johannesburg and Pretoria, where large Portuguese-South African communities have developed, augmented by the arrival of countrymen from Angola and Mocambique.

Though I did my best to bond with the local force (see picture) one fan screamed at the riot police: “You are showing no respect for the Portuguese people, we deserve to see our heroes. We’ve been on the road two hours. The people with tickets don’t even have Portugal shirts.”

While scuffles broke out, security and riot police attempted to defuse tension by allowing some school parties and young children in ticketless to see their side train at 4.30pm. Most were happy simply to see the team bus drive past.

Portugal’s three group games are all sold out – their clash against Brazil in Durban on June 25 was the first game of this World Cup to run out of tickets.

In Tembisa, Japtha Mombelo, bleeding from the head after the crush, said: "I fell down and people just fell over me.The crowd wasoverpowering. The police have told me to stay around and they will organise an ambulance but I am still waiting."

The first rush came when the gates opened to allow fans into the stadium. Police soon closed the gates, but when they were reopened, a second rush occurred, with more people falling and being run over.

Princess Mbali, wearing a South African shirt, said: “They were just stepping on us. I thought I was dying. I was at the bottom."

Sixteen were taken to hospital as Nigeria carved out a 3-1 win.