Fanzoner David Guile insists South Africa have plenty to smile about despite their World Cup exit.
Bafana Bafana ended on a high
There are two ways to react when you find yourself staring down the barrel of a humiliating early exit. One is to point the finger of blame at someone in your own camp and do your dirty laundry with the eyes of the world looking on in bewildered amusement.
The other is to forget the pressure, forget the harsh words of the media backlash and light up the tournament one last time in pursuit of qualification, no matter how lost the cause.
South Africa's final game against a feuding France squad presented an intriguing dichotomy, as two teams seemingly destined for disappointment faced off against each other. And disappointment duly arrived, but not before South Africa's positive approach had led them to a memorable 2-1 win. Yes, the goals were more suited to the Blue Square Premier than a major international tournament but their significance was immense.
What surprised me most was the fluency and invention that South Africa showed in attack. Against Uruguay their hesitant passing and half-hearted long rangers were completely unsuitable for breaking through a disciplined back line; they might as well have been trying to chisel through a concrete wall using an inflatable hammer and a banana. This time around, however, they sliced France open again and again with consummate ease.
Yoann Gourcuff made things considerably easier for South Africa by attempting to clean out MacBeth Sibaya's ear using his elbow, in lieu of a cotton bud, and earning a red card.
Offensive
His remaining teammates continued to attack sporadically but were distracted time and time again by the offensive haircut of backup keeper Moeneeb Josephs, which was last seen on Grace Jones circa 1980.
With goal difference now set to be the deciding factor in the group, Katlego Mphela rattled the excellent Lloris's left hand post with a stinging effort, and for a moment it seemed that somehow, against all logic, South Africa were about to seal a spot in the last 16.
Then came the hammer blow. France, like a crazed Disney villain toppling backwards off a precipice, launched a desperate attempt to drag South Africa down with them.
And so, with Florent Malouda's 70th minute strike, brave Bafana Bafana went down to join the dead men. There was a darkly comic moment, at least, when the BBC commentator observed that the France goal had silenced the vuvuzelas, oblivious to the fact about fifty of them were still steadily parping away in the background as he spoke. The victory was a herculean achievement, but it wasn't quite enough.
South Africa's World Cup is over, as is my adoption experiment, but they leave their own tournament with their heads held high. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as an adoptive fan. Behind Leeds United and, of course, England, they will always have a place in my heart and I will continue to follow their results.
