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Now do you believe me when I say it is here? What a start to this once-in-a-lifetime-in-Africa World Cup & there is a team of players that have stolen my heart & captured my imagination completely - BAFANA BAFANA YOU DID US PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!

400 or so "3ci"ers gathered together in the Blockhouse on Friday afternoon all dressed in green & yellow & armed with lethal vuvuzelas & what we all witnessed together was nothing short of spectacular. Now everybody needs an expert to comment on the games & due to lack of volunteers, I am the self-appointed match analyst for Bafana Bafana over the next couple of weeks starting with last Fridays game against Mexico.  :-)

The first 20 minutes or so was one way traffic with wave after wave of attack from the Mexicans being kept out by some desperate defending and an absolutely brilliant Ithumeleng Khune in goals. We have to consider that none of our lads have ever played in a World Cup before, never mind an opening game with 80 000 or so people in the stadium, so it was almost inevitable that we might have a nervous start. We seemed to settle after that opening flurry from Mexico & started to knock the ball about a bit showing that Mexico could be vulnerable at the back if we break quickly. It was as if our players suddenly realised that it is 11 against 11 footballers out there & we don't have to back off & show respect just because our ranking is 82nd compared to the Mexican's 17th. Going into halftime at 0-0 was just what we needed after that opening 20 minutes.

What happened in the second half was almost unbelievable when we broke quickly & Siphiwe Tshabalala hammered the ball into the top corner with a thunderous, unstoppable shot which was the opening goal of the FIFA 2010 World Cup on his 50th appearance for South Africa. This nation came alive as people started to believe that we could actually achieve the impossible & get an unlikely result against all odds versus this skillful, in-form Mexican team. It was not to be however as Mexico equalised with 12 minutes to go after a pin point cross found 3 Mexicans lurking unmarked at the far post for a fairly easy, anti-climatic equaliser. What upset me most about this goal was that it destroyed my prediction of a 1-0 win to South Africa :-) I was close though, come on admit it.

We had a number of chances in the second half with Teko Modise having 2 clear cut chances & Katlego Mphela hitting the post with just the keeper to beat in the last minute & we might also have been awarded a penalty when Modise seemed to have been pulled back when he was in a one on one situation with the keeper. If you are knowledgeable about soccer, you will know just what a fantastic result this 1-1 draw is for us especially with France & Uruguay drawing 0-0 in the other match in our Group A Pool.

Now looking forward to our next game against Uruguay at Loftus in our wonderful city on Wednesday the 16th June, herewith my expert opinion  :-) 2-0 to South Africa. Coach Perreira, if you are reading my blog, which you should be, then take my advice & play an attacking game against Uruguay. They are not the great Uruguay of the past & rely solely on Diego Forlan to make it happen for them. Play Steven Pienaar in Centre Midfield with Dikgacoi & play Bernard Parker up front with Mphela & we will win this game giving us a great opportunity to qualify for the 2nd round knock out phase. OOPS am I getting carried away now & even selecting the team? Sorry just loving this & am soooo behind our boys.

Till next time after we beat the usually, unbeatable Uruguay & then face the favoured, fancied France - GO BAFANA GO!!!!!!

Your amateur analyst

Athol :-)