I am in the Kruger-Nelspruit International Airport, which is built to resemble a game lodge, waiting to fly to Gabarone, Botswana. I will be working on a project as a fellow with University of the North-West (and possibly the university of Botswana) on resource allocation and the World Cup. I will also be able to get a sense, even though I will be right across the South African border, on just how much of this World Cup fever has spread beyond South Africa’s borders. In other words, just how much is this not only South Africa’s World Cup, but southern Africa’s, and Africa’s?
I will be staying with a Zimbabwean friend and his family, and will be watching the games with him and with his department chair, so I will be amidst a football crowd. And Gabarone is pretty close to one of the stadiums (Rustenburg’s Royal Mafokeng Stadium, where I saw the US-England game). Botswana’s television is basically South Africa’s television, its print media largely South Africa’s media. So I am not undertaking a dramatic shift. But I am curious not only about whether Botswana has embraced the World Cup (I bet they have) but also on their impressions of the event as an *African* event, sloppy as that term can be.
And since I did such a cracking job (ahem) of picking the group stages, let’s see if I can find a bit of redemption in the Group of 16:
Uruguay over South Korea (Uruguay might be the best team no one is talking about.)
US over Ghana (I am still torn on this one and still will fully support whichever side wins.)
Netherlands over Slovakia (I see no reason not to continue believing the Dutch can win this thing.)
Brazil over Chile (I like the Chilean side. But let’s be realistic.)
Germany over England (My apologies to my English friends, who always think this is the year they win it all again.)
Argentina over Mexico (This could be the best match of this round. I’d be happy to see Mexico win. But Messi and company get it done.)
Paraguay over Japan (Though Japan’s performance against the Danes gives me pause.)
Portugal over Spain (It is unfair that this match comes in the first round of the knockout stage — for the teams, yes, but also for us fans.)
