They deserved a semi-final berth and who knows how far they would have gone thereafter, but it was not to be. However their achievement of getting to the brink and failing in such an unsportsmanlike manner should give African teams heart that we can in fact break the glass ceiling, of the quarter-finals, in future World Cups.

South Africa was the first host to drop out of the World Cup at the group stage but despite the concerns of the pundits the people still remained engaged, passionate and welcoming. The carnival and febrile atmosphere engendered by the people of South Africa and their vuvuzela’s gave this World Cup a unique African feel that touched many visitors and hearts around the world. South African words like the Vuvuzela and Jabulani (the name of the ball used in the World Cup) have not entered the world football lexicon and has influenced fans around the world. Just last week I attended a soccer match of my favourite Korean soccer team, FC SEOUL, during their POSCO CUP game, and the fans were blowing their vuvuzela’s during quite moments of the game.

South Africa ’s National Building project was reinforced as the outpouring of National Pride and Unity of its diverse people was cemented. We witnessed scenes of brotherhood not seen since the initial years of our independence in 1994 and the winning of the Rugby World Cup in 1995. This has been the priceless benefit, the most intangible but most valuable legacy for us from the World Cup.

Africa and South Africa have come out of this much better branded and the economic spin-offs should materialize as the world fully and now honestly must realize that infrastructure and organizing capacity does exist on the continent.

Great pride and self-confident should fill the chests of Africans as they reflect and internalize the consequence of so great an organizing feat. If we can do something of such a scale in an environment of mocking and scathing innuendo and vitriol, what can prevent us from organizing our societies and our economies to a higher level? From hence forth there should be no self-doubt and the international community should be more supportive and less judgmental as we jointly tackle the problem of development in Africa.

Africa and South Africa need to be seen from a different perspective going forward. How can there be such a disjuncture between reality and perception before and after an event. Surely this must tell us that the premise of observers, in their views on Africa is too extreme. Africa should now expect more balanced reporting on its affairs. Recognizing that there are many shortcomings in our societies but there are also positives and success stories.

We do hope that the Korean people look at Africa and South Africa with a balanced perspective in the years ahead.

One can already see that the impulse of negative reporting is on heat and is flaring again, with speculation about so-called xenophobic attacks on foreigners, in South Africa, just a few days after the World Cup. No one can tell what the empirical evidence is, for such a proposition but the reporting has begun looping and relooping around the world, aided and abetted by an uncritical herd mentality, and Africa will again be the victim.

We are reminded of the haunting injunction by Nelson Mandela when he faced incessant challenges in his time “THAT THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES”, therefore we should never lose heart but always do our work honestly and diligently.

Hilton Anthony Dennis
Ambassador of South Africa
Seoul