If Bafana Bafana’s chances are to be judged by the state of South African football administration, then things look bleak.?
Of the 32 teams that sought base camps for the World Cup, the hosts were among the last to settle on a venue: Sturrock Park at the ?University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. The sad truth is that the South African Football Association had assumed the players would base themselves at their ‘school of excellence’ in Johannesburg. But after an inspection in March found that the school’s pitches were in a sorry state and the buildings ramshackle, a quick booking had to be made at the university.
The hosts will be far worse off than other teams. England will be based at the brand new multi-million-dollar high-altitude Royal Bafokeng Sports precinct in Rustenburg. Brazil will also enjoy purpose-built luxury at the Fairway Hotel and Spa in the Johannesburg suburb of Randburg.
This article was first published in The Africa Report World Cup 2010 special in May.
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