#KUZOBALIT is SABC1’s campaign theme for the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia. It’s a phrase derived from Nguni and English which means “it’s going to be exciting”.
To use another colloquialism, it’s the woke way of saying, “the World Cup fever is upon us”. And since the opening match of the global showpiece between Russia and Saudi Arabia, the tournament has not been short of excitement.
The dramatic, unprecedented 5-0 score-line in favour of Russia has set the tone for a sensational championship. Subsequent fixtures have lived up to expectations in terms of goals but have confounded punters who didn’t reckon with underdogs such as Senegal beating Poland.
At the time of writing, soccer gods like Messi and Neymar still have to lighten up our TV screens with some positive results for Argentina and Brazil, respectively while the hosts sent Mohamed Salah and his Egyptian team packing on Tuesday night.
For the first time in the history of soccer’s biggest story, the organisers have roped in a high-tech device named Video Assistance Referee (VAR) to deal with subtle but crucial infringements that may elude hawk-eyed referees and linesmen.
But so far the screens have to show us how it is contributing to the final decisions in matches played at a blinding pace.
SABC1’s sport anchors Thomas Mlambo, Mpho Maboi, Andile Ncube and Lebo Motsoeli are doing a fantastic job with punchy presenting while resident analysts Siphiwe Mkhonza, Phumudzo Manenzhe, Christopher Bongo, Doctor Khumalo and Teko Modise have come to the party with their incisive and insightful analysis.
The latter category has proven themselves on the pitch as talented professional soccer players.
Their background is evident in their expert commentary. It’s also good to see coaches and TV commentators such as the spirited Gloria Brown in the mix. Steve Komphela has acquired a reputation as Mr English because of his superior vocabulary and philosophical metaphors during post-match interviews but this time around his analyses in impeccable Xhosa and Sotho have been a surprise element for many viewers. Most of his counterparts would rather stick to English, though SABC1 is a multilingual channel.
The former Kaizer Chiefs coach’s switching from one language to another is a marvel to the ear and a breath of fresh air for a channel that’s dominated by English, even though its majority audience is black. Rulani Mokwena has been a revelation on the panel of SABC1 analysts.
His prodigious football brain shows in his authoritative analyses. The Orlando Pirates assistant coach is the third generation in the Sono dynasty - a name that is synonymous with South African soccer. His father, Julius “KK” Sono is Jomo Sono’s younger brother and former professional at Jomo Cosmos and Orlando Pirates.
Lovers of SABC1 soapies can watch Generations - The Legacy on SABC3 at 8pm, Skeem Saam on SABC2 at 6.30pm and Uzalo on SABC 2 at 8.30pm for the duration of the World Cup, which runs until Sunday, July 15.