SSR Vol5 FIFA- WC-SA

“FABRIC OF A REAL MAN”

S uccess usually comes with good leadership, and Nelson Mandela and the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) deserves a lot of credit for putting forward a successful bid to host the FIFA World Cup tournament in such a short space of time. It is a remarkable feat considering that Mandela was release from prison in 1990 and became South Africa’s first black President in 1994. Since that time only four World Cups have been staged.

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The expeditious manner in which Mandela campaigned to host the 2010 World Cup made its imminent success a reality in 2004. Again, the Nobel Peace Prize winner had proven that he was arguably one of the most loved statesman. We were taught that in life everything happens for a reason. Mandela’s 27 years in prison made him wiser and more committed. Though he may not have had thoughts of revenge and/or bitterness in his heart when he was released from prison, he returned to the outside world more committed in an effort to resolve the complicated problems of South Africa’s Apartheid system. Mandela always carried a charming smile or a hint of one which evidently made him a ladies man or a good catch for the ladies. He was a real man amongst men, who never gave up the fight. His rationale for compromise became the flagship by which Nelson “Madiba” Mandela built his legacy. He negotiated his freedom as a concession for solving the racial unrest in South Africa and became the President in South Africa’s first truly democratic election in 1994. It must be noted that his use of sports (Rugby and Football) was an integral part of Mandela’s success in uniting a divided South Africa. He removed the racial divide by forming a new ‘Rainbow Nation’.

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