Once in a Lifetime - Africa's Finest Hour
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
The first of Tony Magner's four part series, detailing his experiences at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Here he introduces South Africa, the nation, while tomorrow he writes about his first week at the festival of football.
“I’d love to hear your thoughts on the World Cup,” said the editor of these pages, “you know, just a diary style piece about South Africa and the football in general.” “Sounds easy,” I thought, but within a few days of arriving in Johannesburg for the tournament that just about everyone told me I was mad to consider, I knew I had maybe bitten off a little more than I could chew.
To fully represent the three and a half week stay on paper is impossible, the people and their welcome, the noise and the colour, the atmosphere and the sheer joy and pride of the native Africans – of all colour – will probably spawn a few books over the next few years. All I can do is my best to give a small taste of the adventures of one Meath resident and his trusty ‘Sally Rogers Trim on Tour’ as he weaves his way with friends from Jo’burg to Pretoria, to Durban and to Cape Town.
The slogan all around the country is “Ke Nako”, translated to ‘Feel it, it’s here.’ The other one is 'Once In a Lifetime.’ Both just about sum it up perfectly. Once in South Africa it was impossible not to feel it, be swept away by it, to be consumed by it. And it certainly is once in a lifetime for we will never see the likes of a tournament like this again. For Africa there can be only one first time.
Tomorrow: Week 1
“I’d love to hear your thoughts on the World Cup,” said the editor of these pages, “you know, just a diary style piece about South Africa and the football in general.” “Sounds easy,” I thought, but within a few days of arriving in Johannesburg for the tournament that just about everyone told me I was mad to consider, I knew I had maybe bitten off a little more than I could chew.
To fully represent the three and a half week stay on paper is impossible, the people and their welcome, the noise and the colour, the atmosphere and the sheer joy and pride of the native Africans – of all colour – will probably spawn a few books over the next few years. All I can do is my best to give a small taste of the adventures of one Meath resident and his trusty ‘Sally Rogers Trim on Tour’ as he weaves his way with friends from Jo’burg to Pretoria, to Durban and to Cape Town.
The slogan all around the country is “Ke Nako”, translated to ‘Feel it, it’s here.’ The other one is 'Once In a Lifetime.’ Both just about sum it up perfectly. Once in South Africa it was impossible not to feel it, be swept away by it, to be consumed by it. And it certainly is once in a lifetime for we will never see the likes of a tournament like this again. For Africa there can be only one first time.
Tomorrow: Week 1
