1 - ‘The Year of Africa’

Abstract

Adekeye Adebajo’s contribution to this issue of ARB induces us to reflect further on the big event in Africa this year: the 2010 World Cup. In an earlier article (Mail and Guardian, 12-18 March 2010) ‘In the footsteps of Henry Kissinger’s prognosis of the 1986 World Cup’, Adebajo had weighed the chances of an African team winning the muchcoveted trophy by relating each of the
six African teams to their national characteristics. His prediction, which sadly has proven accurate, was that ‘it will take a while longer before Africa’s football and national characteristic align sufficiently to claim the ultimate prize’. As it turned out, even a semi-final place eluded Africa...