Durban - Another national anthem embarrassment has emerged, as the England football team and their fans cringed throughout the performance before the UEFA qualifier against hosts Italy on Thursday.
The players faces… 😂#England pic.twitter.com/nveaJ1D0Z9
— That Tottenham Feed (@Tottenham_Feed) March 23, 2023
In November, Springbok rugby fans would have been forgiven for thinking they had tuned into a funeral and not the game against Italy when singer Nicole Magolie laboured through the slowest ever rendition of Nkosi sikelel' Afrika.
The Bok players bravely but unsuccessfully tried to keep in tune with the mournful wailing but the Cape Town-born Magolie says the live backing track was to blame.
Even so, Magolie said on Facebook that she thought it was “beautiful” nonetheless.
Sorry, Nicole, millions would disagree!
Magoei, who now lives in Italy, posted photos of her singing the anthem plus these words: “The evident and palpable emotion of the Springboks and the South African fans positively overwhelmed me. It was beautiful and I received dozens and dozens of compliment messages. THANK YOU EVERYONE."
Sorry to break it to you Nicole, but the anthem went down like a lead balloon and Bok fans have been debating which is the worst ever rendition they have heard ... this weekend’s or that of Ras Dumisane in France in 2009, when the words and the tune were horribly butchered.
The Boks were probably so depressed about Ras’ singing that day that it contributed to them losing to Les Bleus, but at least at the weekend Siya Kolisi’s men shot out of the starting blocks despite almost being put to sleep during the anthem.
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There was also the unfortunate occasion when Just Jinger singer Ard Matthews forgot the words when singing the anthem at the Boks’ 2011 World Cup squad announcement.
The Boks will certainly be hoping for better luck when they complete their season at Twickenham on Saturday.
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@MikeGreenaway67