By Dhirshan Gobind Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers resume at the end of March against mighty Cameroon and it is indeed time to take a look at how the team can turn the tide, climb the world rankings and qualify for big tournaments again. It is fairly obvious that there needs to be […]
soccer
Football an undeniable force for positive change
Football mirrors our society. It also has the power to inspire people to achieve. South Africans of all hues support football in one manner or another, from factory workers, to service providers, to children, to neighbours and family members. Due to its global reach and ability to transcend barriers, football is also increasingly used to […]
The sociology of soccer
A few weeks ago, I was invited to respond to a paper at a seminar jointly hosted by the departments of sociology and anthropology at the University of Johannesburg. The presenter was soccer sociologist Dr Marc Fletcher, a post-doctoral fellow in the department and his paper interrogated as part of a larger thesis, that both […]
No beautiful game at school
It’s not that there’s no demand for association football — far from it. Both in the 80s, when I attended the South African College Schools (Sacs), and even more so now — when soccer is the breaktime pick-up game of choice — the round ball is evidently popular. Why then is Mzansi’s majority sport still […]
Saving Bafana
The single biggest threat to our national soccer team is our national hockey team. Allow me to explain: Our soccer is average because the sport is cultivated outside of any centres of excellence. Rugby for example is cultivated in former Model C schools and private schools with ample resources and a disciplined work ethic. The […]