Thanks to the likes of Nelson Mandela, when apartheid was at its worst, a unique movement of football at Robben Island changed so much
Tag: south africa
Nothing came easy for Lucas Radebe, a man who Nelson Mandela called “my hero” and who had to overcome being shot and various injuries to become a legend
Few men in South African football have had impact of Jomo Sono. Fewer still had to endure the challenges that this gifted maverick did
ONE AFTERNOON IN LEEDS CITY CENTRE in the early 1990s, George Best thought he recognised someone shuffling past the window of the restaurant where he was waiting for lunch. The figure was…
FOOTBALL IS NO OBJECTIVE SCIENCE. There is no right or wrong way to play it. Often the culture of a country determines its playing style; Germany are fearless and structured, Brazil are…
TWO YEARS AGO, a 24-year-old named Roland Putsche stood on the field in front Borussia Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall, feeling the reverberation of the fans’ chants ebb through the studs of his…
Illustration by Federico Manasse It took Benni McCarthy some time to score his first-ever international goal, but when he eventually managed it, everyone at the Bobo Dioulasso stadium knew they were watching…
The 2010 World Cup is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Yelping vuvuzelas, squalid football and the infamous Jabulani mean the tournament’s sporting legacy lies on shaky ground. When Andrés Iniesta brought the football…
How did football become the technology-driven, all-encompassing beast it is today? Through Africa’s support of João Havelange and FIFA, of course
Football in South Africa is one of the game’s most cultural and engrossing stories. This is the tale of the game in Johannesburg, one of Africa’s historic jewels.