World Cup 2010 Analysis

World Cup 2010 Analysis

The Vuvuzela
This instrument, which is claimed by the African Methodist church as their invention (invented in early 1900s) will definitely remain with the African cheering squads for a very long time. There is only one secret about it: Blow your own, and the one from the person standing next to you will cease to be a nuisance.

The best tuned national anthem
If there was one national anthem that I didn’t want to miss (other than the S.A one, of which I know by rote, including the Tanzanian version) was Uruguay’s national anthem. Unlike these other boring anthems, theirs was lively and interesting, and their entire team sang along. As for the other teams, you’d wonder whether those players were really Nationals of the countries that they played for.

Goal of the Tournament
Maicon’s goal against Korea was the goal of the just the GOAL, it was an impossible goal,,,,,,well,,,,,until he made it possible. People are still arguing on whether it was a cross or a shot. I’m sure he was also shocked (going by his calm celebration of that goal)

Miss of the Tournament
Alone, totally unmanned, no goal keeper, between the two goal posts, less than three yards from the goal line and Yakubu misses. Again, just like Maicon’s goal, this was impossible, until Yakubu made it possible. Such are the events that make people believe in witchcraft. And with that, the Nigerians were bungled out of the games by South Korea.

The most interesting coach
Even non-Argentinean supporters had to like Diego Maradonna. At one point, he is being given instructions by one of his players at the start of a game. The next minute (and for the rest of the games) he acts as the ball boy, and does some interesting tricks with the ball. And finally, he promises to pull an “Archimedes”by running naked should Argentina lift the cup.
I guess he would have spiced up the world cup final…..hope he’ll still be there come 2014!

Best Player
Arjen Robben was the best player in my eyes. Football is not just about passing the ball around and scoring goals, no, football is about flicks, flares, going through four defenders alone, beating a defender by passing the ball in between his legs (Choboo) and passing the other one by hitting it over his head (Kanzu.) That’s exactly what Robben did. Surely, the best palyer.
I could add here that the second best player was Germany’s Ozel.

The most disappointing player
Who else other than Didier Drogba! The guy goes into the tournament FAKING a shoulder injury. Wastes several clear chances against Portugal and Brazil. Insists on playing (due to his influence on public opinion back at home) and thus keeps good players eg Keita and Kalu on the bench, and also fails to coordinate with Gervinho, who was Cote d’ivoire’s best player.

Best African team
Going into the world cup, my favorite team was the Black Stars, with Steven Appiah as my favorite player. But after the games began, all this changed. Appiah was denied most of the play by that Coach of theirs (and ironically addressed the crowds on behalf of the team when they landed in Accra,,,kwani where was that team captain of theirs? Ama he doesn’t speak English?) Futhermore, Ghana just survived through the matches, with free kicks and penalties. (Though they played well in their two last games.)
With that, the best African team was ALGERIA. These guys were fast, very professional, and they didn’t care a rap about the perceived big teams, and their defense was just superb. Were it not for the poor officiating during their qualifying matches, those boys would have taken the cup. Just look at how they played England, Rooney was almost crying on the field. The Algerians made them play like high school kids. As for the Americans, luck (or was it Paul the Octopus?) was just on their side.
Kudos Algeria, you just proved that you were there by right (of course we all missed Egypt, but they should have come in for CAMEROUN, not Algeria.)

Best team, overall
The best overall team was North Korea (DPRK).
This Communist country last qualified for the world cup in the 60’s, and still made my day. Of course, they lost all their matches, but what would you expect when you put such a team in the same group as Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast? Had they been spared the group of death, they probably would have made it to the quarters. And the guys were extremely patriotic, just the sound of their anthem made their captain shed tears (unlike Kenyans who play for the cash, and for the European scouts.)

Worst Team
France.

The stadiums
Speaking of Communists, South Africans seemingly had two names for each stadium. The second best being named after Moses Mabhida, a former sec-gen of South African Communist Party, killed by S.A mercenaries in the mid 80’s in their Mozambique camp. We had Chris Hani Stadium (which had three other names!) who was also a sec-gen of SACP, and commander of Umkhonto we Sizwe(MK), killed by some white fellow just before the end of apartheid. Another interesting name was that of Peter Mokaba, the ANC youth league leader who made the “kill the Boer” song popular, and of course, Nelson Mandela Bay, a great man who has strong Communistic leanings(and the old man is still strong, eh?). In Kenya, we would have had MOI kasarani stad, NYAYO stad, Kenyatta stad, Jommo stad, Toroitich grounds, Kenyatta grounds……….

Women
It could be the effects of where I grew up, but I don’t remember women having interest in football dem days. These days we have them in the Premiere league, Champions league, and now in the world cup.
But going by what I saw at some pub the other day, some of them just do it for their guys, which is not veeerry bad.
One woman who was serious though, was the one on Spain’s technical bench No wonder they won, you can imagine being psyched up by a woman!(for the men, that is.)

The world cup songs
The person who chose those songs knew what they were doing. Listening to K’naan’s original waving flag song was very inspiring, especially as an African, and so was Shakira’s Waka Waka, just look at these rylics, quite proggressive:
Wavin' Flag lyrics

When i get older, they'll call me freedom
Just like a Waving Flag.

[Chorus]
When I get older, I will be stronger,
They'll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag,
And then it goes back, and then it goes back,
And then it goes back

Born to a throne, stronger than Rome
but Violent prone, poor people zone,
But it's my home, all I have known,
Where I got grown, streets we would roam.
But out of the darkness, I came the farthest,
Among the hardest survival.
Learn from these streets, it can be bleak,
Except no defeat, surrender retreat,

So we struggling, fighting to eat and
We wondering when we'll be free,
So we patiently wait, for that fateful day,
It's not far away, so for now we say

[Chorus]

So many wars, settling scores,
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor,
I heard them say, love is the way,
Love is the answer, that's what they say,
But look how they treat us, Make us believers,
We fight their battles, then they deceive us,
Try to control us, they couldn't hold us,
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers.

But we struggling, fighting to eat,
And we wondering, when we'll be free
So we patiently wait, for that faithful day,
It's not far away, but for now we say,

[Chorus] 2x

(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And everybody will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And you and I will be singing it
(Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhhh Ohhhh)
And we all will be singing it
(Ohhh Ohh Ohh Ohh)

[Chorus] 2x
When I get older, when I get older
I will be stronger, just like a Waving Flag,
Just like a Waving Flag, just like a Waving flag
Flag, flag, Just like a Waving Flag


Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)"
Oooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehh
You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
Get back in the saddle

You're on the front line
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious
We are getting closer
This isn't over

The pressure is on
You feel it
But you got it all
Believe it

When you fall get up, oh oh
If you fall get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Listen to your God
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Don't wait in line
Y vamos por todo

People are raising
Their expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations

Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Beleive it

If you get down get up, oh oh
When you get down get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a
Tsamina mina, eh eh
Waka waka, eh eh
This time for Africa
[2x]
Django eh eh [2x]
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa a a


Benedict Wachira
12 July 2010
4:07pm