By Peter Alegi | September 1st, 2010 | 1 Comment
UEFA announced that vuvuzelas will not be permitted in European stadia hosting UEFA competitions. ‘The magic of football consists of the two-way exchange of emotions between the pitch and the stands, where the public can transmit a full range of feelings to the players,’ explained the European confederation’s web site. ‘However, UEFA is of the view that the vuvuzelas would completely change the atmosphere, drowning supporter emotions and detracting from the experience of the game.’
Curbing fans’ freedom to express themselves is generally not my cup of tea, but maybe these self-interested football technocrats are helping to preserve what’s left of stadium soundscapes and our hearing.
Click here to read the UEFA statement.
By Peter Alegi | August 29th, 2010 | No Comments
Amazulu celebrate their 3-2 win over local rivals Maritzburg United (Alegi photo)
The PSL season in KwaZulu-Natal opened with an exciting goal-filled derby in front of a small but vociferous crowd at Mabhida Stadium in Durban. Hosts Amazulu nipped Maritzburg United 3-2, making us temporarily forget about the countrywide strikes that are turning patients away from hospitals, keeping students out of school, and possibly shutting our water off tomorrow.
12 minutes into the match a free kick finds the head of a diving Ayanda Dlamini who loops it over Shu-Aib Walters: 1-0 Amazulu.
Ayanda Dlamini's header gives Amazulu the lead. Note the empty seats (Alegi photo).
Ten minutes later Namibian striker Rudolph Bester drew Maritzburg United level courtesy of a goalkeeping blunder off another set play. Traveling fans were quieted once more after Majoro headed in a perfectly calibrated Hadebe cross on 38 minutes. 2-1 at the break.
Now that's halftime entertainment! (Alegi photo)
The second half had two gems. 53rd minute: Mkhonza scores a spectacular own goal — a lob over Mzimela from 30 meters out! 91st minute: Dlamini finishes off a sweet move with a sterling game-winning strike just inside the box. The yin of Usuthu fans’ celebration versus the yang of Maritzburgers’ grief.
Amazulu women supporters praise their heroes' victory (Alegi photo)
While far from a technical and tactical masterpiece, this derby had lots of goals, blunders, and an emotionally charged finish. Well worth the price of admission!
Maritzburg fans stunned into silence (Alegi photo)
By Peter Alegi | August 26th, 2010 | 4 Comments
Reggie Shelembe (1960-2010) -- iqhawe lamaqhawe (Photo by Peter Alegi)
African football has lost a giant. Reggie Shelembe (1960-2010), former player for African Wanderers, Durban Bush Bucks and AmaZulu and coach of Maritzburg City, has passed away from cancer. My heartfelt condolences to his family.
I got to know Reggie at the Izichwe development program where he coached young boys and my daughter. Reggie was a football connoisseur, devoted family man and teacher who came to training despite his illness, always eager to discuss the young players’ progress, the latest Champions League match and, of course, the 2010 World Cup. One hot afternoon, too hot for his weary body, he watched the training session from his parked car. When I went to say hi he smiled broadly and said: ‘man, you’ve got a nice first touch! I could see it all the way from here!’
I only had the privilege of Reggie’s company for a cruelly short time. But I’ll remember fondly our many afternoons spent ‘doing football’. His knowledge, generosity and commitment will continue to inspire us to put people before profits in and out of football.
Thabo Dladla’s thoughts on the passing of his dear friend tell us far more than I ever could. Here they are:
Mhlanga Madondo, one of our most promising young coaches, made a profound statement when the late Reggie Shelembe was critically ill. ‘We cannot afford to lose a man of his experience. Reggie’s death will put uMgungundlovu [Pietermaritzburg] football back more than 20 years. It will be very difficult for local to recover from his passing.” Zakes Gwala, SAFA KZN secretary, also made a telling statement about Shelembe a few years ago. ‘The man spends most of his time training players, whether it’s a cold or very hot day.’
I think it is proper to thank his family to have allowed football to share him. We live in a time where life is more about status and power. There are very few men and women who are prepared to make sacrifices for others. A lot of people coach hoping to get instant fame and fortune. We have few people in this country with the passion to work under difficult conditions.
Shelembe lived for football. He would call me at odd hours to talk about technical-tactical ideas. He was a true student of the game. The last time I visited him, he was watching the recent Women’s U20 World Cup. He was excited about the growth of women’s football. Shelembe was also part of the coaching group that recruited Izichwe Youth Football Programme talent. He worked with Styles Mkhize and Mhlanga Madondo in the infancy stage of the programme. He came to training even when he was sick. He trained juniors in the mornings and seniors in the afternoons.
The death of Shelembe should usher in a new commitment from people. Football needs parents who will take responsibility for the development of children. I would like to appeal to young players to learn from Shelembe’s life. It is important to give back in life. May his family be consoled by the fact that Shelembe lived life to its fullest. He was a brave man who fought hard to the end. May his soul rest in peace. Unzima lo mthwalo!
By Peter Alegi | August 15th, 2010 | 2 Comments
Schoolgirls playing the game in KwaZulu-Natal (Photo by Peter Alegi)
Remember ‘Feel it! It is here!’ and similar emotional tugs on our football-loving hearts and souls during the 2010 World Cup? A few weeks later, the country is due to host the CAF African Women’s Championship and the silence is deafening.
Media, the South African FA, government and the private sector are back to their usual ways, ignoring everything but the money-spinning elite men’s game. The most recent evidence of the continuing low status of the women’s game in South Africa (and Africa) is that the venues for the African Women’s Championship in October have yet to be decided.
After the World Cup, we are back to reality. Maladministration, commercial disinterest, and male condescension continue to hold African women’s football back. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
By Peter Alegi | August 8th, 2010 | 7 Comments
Zamajobe doing vuvuzela in Durban, 27 May 2010 (Photo by Peter Alegi)
South Africa 2010’s major cultural legacy — the vuvuzela plastic horn — is spreading like a plague across planet football. This Made-in-China ‘invented tradition’ has drowned out the chants, songs, praise poetry, music (yes, music) and other organic collective sounds that used to accompany the ebb-and-flow of the game in South Africa. A Kenyan friend pointed out to me that the term vuvuzela is being used both as a noun and a verb.
However, there is increasing evidence from overseas that a movement is growing in opposition to the notion that the stadium experience can be reduced to the deafening sound of wailing goats. Six English Premier League clubs — Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Birmingham, Everton, Fulham and West Ham — have banned vuvuzelas from their home grounds and others are likely to follow suit. In the United States, where the infernal horn is already in MLS stadiums, the New York Times reports that the New Meadowlands Stadium has been declared a ‘vuvuzela-free zone’ for the USA-Brazil friendly on August 10.
Read the article here.
Tags: Vuvuzela
Filed under: The Hosts
By Peter Alegi | August 6th, 2010 | 1 Comment
Thabo Dladla (right) and Styles at Izichwe (Photo by Peter Alegi)
‘Talking Football’ by Thabo Dladla (Echo, 5 August 2010)
The euphoria and excitement that grew around football during the recent World Cup are not likely to boost the beautiful game in South Africa. If our attitudes do not change towards this predominantly black sport, it will remain a stepchild of South African sport for many years to come.
Rugby and cricket will continue to receive support from businesses and decision makers. The black elites’ children attend private and formerly white high schools which promote rugby and cricket . . . [codes] which enjoy the best sporting facilities, all the way up to university level. The few facilities available to football are either poorly maintained or not maintained at all.
The system continues to support the rich and politically powerful. there are many black faces leading institutions such as schools, universities, municipalities and government departments, and yet football continues to struggle.
At university level rugby enjoys huge sponsorship and coverage on television while football [does] not despite the huge number of students who play the game . . . The young men and women in this age group should be competing in U20 and U23 competitions. The Izichwe Youth programme based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal strives to address some of the challenges faced by the needy youth.[The program receives support from Ilawu B.B., National Lottery, Metropolitan, Adidas and Viking Stavanger FC in Norway.]
The rich and powerful call for more police and prisons. Yet the country requires youth programmes to empower our youngsters socially, economically and academically, to shape their future. I would like to see a change in attitude from those who make decisions in government and business.
It is not only the rugby-playing children from middle class families who have dreams. Patriotism is not only about carrying flags and singing national anthems, it is more about caring and supporting your fellow citizens.
[Click to listen to podcast with Thabo Dladla and fellow coaches.]
By Peter Alegi | August 2nd, 2010 | 3 Comments
The South African Football Association and the Premier Soccer League have announced a dramatic increase in ticket prices for 2010-11 PSL season. The official explanation given was a need to ensure the long-term sustainability of World Cup stadiums and provide funds for grassroots football.
‘It’s nice to say we filled Soccer City with 88,000 people, but how much do we charge them, R50? [Generally, it's R20-25.] ‘What is the cost of hiring that stadium? Over R500,000,’ SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe recently told a parliamentary committee.
PSL chairman Irvin Khoza said on Friday that high stadium costs and an agreement with the South African Players Union for a minimum wage and basic rights meant that, ‘We have no option but to increase our prices. It is always unfortunate when one has to make increases, but there is no way we can continue to charge R20 for 90 minutes any longer.’
Neither Sedibe nor Khoza commented on the inconvenient fact that only two of the ten expensive World Cup stadiums are scheduled to regularly host PSL matches. The exceptions are: Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, AmaZulu’s home base, and Royal Bafokeng in Rustenburg, home of Platinum Stars. Perhaps a third one will follow if Ajax Cape Town end up using Cape Town Stadium. Cities without PSL teams like Polokwane, Port Elizabeth and Nelspruit are desperate to get rugby into their new stadiums to have a (distant) shot at making ends meet.
Meanwhile in Gauteng, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Moroka Swallows, Mamelodi Sundowns and Supersport United announced their home grounds for 2010-11: Orlando Stadium, Rand Stadium, Dobsonville Stadium, HM Pitje Stadium, and Super Stadium respectively. These high-powered clubs, in other words, shunned the 2010 venues of Soccer City, Ellis Park, and Loftus Versfeld for smaller, cheaper grounds.
Local football bosses have also argued that ticket revenues would, of course, benefit grassroots football. ‘Prices will have to be revisited if we are serious about funding development because that’s where the money will come from,’ said Sedibe. SAFA’s pitiful record in every aspect of local football development — infrastructure, youth programs, coaching, administration — means only the most delusional fans believe that additional ticket revenues will suddenly make SAFA ’serious’ about improving the grassroots game.
With R40 billion in public funds spent on World Cup stadiums and other 2010 construction projects, it is no wonder that fans are angry about the ticket increases. R40 is a substantial amount of money for a typical local supporter who earns about R1500 a month; and he or she is among the fortunate ones who have a job since the unemployment rate in South Africa is 25 percent (the unofficial rate is 40 percent). As the seventh richest league in the world, shouldn’t the PSL, rather than blue-collar fans, help offset some of the costs? Imagine, a wealthy private company not dumping all of its costs on the backs of ordinary people!
The ticket saga highlights a crucial legacy of the World Cup: South Africa’s deeper incorporation into the media-driven global football business. The powerbrokers in domestic football appear less interested in expanding the fan base than in creating more profitable audiences. These are made up of middle-class folks willing and able to pay for pricier tickets, merchandise, satellite TV packages, broadband internet and the other luxuries of contemporary fandom.
In light of these changes, what can be done? Well, one good place to start is to fight to ensure equitable access to the professional game at stadiums and on television. Fans should be able to pay fair and reasonable ticket prices, especially when stadiums are built with public funds. In addition, pressure must be put on broadcasters, football bodies, and regulatory authorities to show as many local and international matches as possible on free-to-air TV. It is the People’s Game after all.
« Previous Posts
RSS Feed
