Tuesday was quite a landmark in South Africa’s football history. In fact, things got so heady that our honourable sports minister forgot his bearings and pronounced to the world that 9pm was still a good afternoon.
As they say, there is African time, and then there is government time.
Perhaps he was still nursing a hangover after enjoying the considerable fruits of his, well, labour at Sun City two nights before. But whatever was in the water at Soccer City on Tuesday ought to be bottled and handed to Gordon Igesund’s charges every time they represent the nation.
It was a proud performance, a tactical victory for the “Delboy” of South African football.
In fact, Igesund got so charged up he was ready to rumble when the Spaniards tried to use their third keeper without Bafana’s consent.
Sanity prevailed and Bafana held on for a famous win that left fans proud and puzzled. Where was this level of intensity, this infectious energy, when Bafana were limping out of the World Cup race?
It still remains a mystery how our national side can get up for illustrious opponents, yet struggle to get out of second gear when they have to trek to unfashionable corners of Africa.
While Bernard Parker was penning the perfect script for Bafana, the final scramble for World Cup places was happening all across the globe.
Ghana and Uruguay, who were part of one of most dramatic narratives of 2010, confirmed their places in the final 32 on the same night.
But the most riveting tale on Tuesday night was Sweden’s date with Portugal. It was “Ibracadabra” against “Rocket Ron”, in a genuine battle of the big boys.
I recently received Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s autobiography as a gift. I had my doubts, because active footballer’s books are often cliché-ridden and annoyingly formulaic in their construction.
Think back to the snore-fests that were offered up by England’s golden generation, all penned to coincide with the 2010 World Cup. Even the central characters must cringe at some of the tripe their ghost writers served up.
But I am Zlatan is the personification of one of football’s most brilliantly bizarre characters. I hate to spoil a good read, but there was one line that was pure, Zlatan gold.
His loathing for Pep Guardiola is only equalled by his admiration for Jose Mourinho, and he summed up the relationships when he said: “If Mourinho lights up the room, Guardiola draws the curtains.”
Ibrahimovic’s honesty is refreshing and unapologetic, and he remains one of the game’s most compelling characters.
Sadly, he will not grace the 2014 World Cup with his outrageous skills. As good as he is, Ibrahimovic is now light years behind the incredible Cristiano Ronaldo. The Swede scored a brace in the play-off clash on Tuesday, but he hadn’t reckoned on Ronaldo, the defence-wrecking ball.
The Real Madrid man is on another planet and his hat-trick in the Swedish cauldron was a sight to behold. He may not have the grace of Messi, but that’s like saying that “Marvellous Marvin” Hagler didn’t have the wizardry of Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring.
They were both special in their own right, and inspired each other to be even better.
Ronaldo’s potent combo of pace, power and precision makes him a truly terrifying prospect for defenders.
He was admittedly poor at the last World Cup, but perhaps in the homeland of the other Ronaldo, football’s deadliest gun can really fire.
Maybe then, if he claims the one prize that has eluded Messi, the football fraternity will finally give him the credit he deserves.
After all, it takes an extraordinary talent to reduce the mighty Zlatan to a mere footnote in his own backyard. - Sunday Tribune