Cav's Place

We’re only hours away from the start of very likely the strangest and riskiest World Cup edition in recent history. And I really don’t see how at least the first part of that statement, about the strangeness, could possibly be proven wrong. Unfortunately, I also don’t exactly see the second part, about the risk, being proven wrong either, though I certainly hope it will somehow be…
This push to forcefully globalize every aspect of football creates more and more dangers each time. First it was only for the matches themselves, when highly unsuitable referees were introduced simply because FIFA wanted to grant each continent what it considered to be its fair share in that aspect as well, but now having this edition take place in a country like South Africa is a threat to the security of the players, staff members and fans, as well as to the likelihood that fans will be able to enjoy what they’re seeing.
Quite frankly, while we could never have managed to build the stadiums, from all other aspects, such as security, organization, culture and the entire system required to manage something of this magnitude, I think even Romania would have been a more suitable World Cup host than South Africa! And that’s saying a lot…

Anyone who watched the Confederations Cup should be well aware of what I mean when I mention the reduced likelihood of fans being able to enjoy the matches, or even the reduced likelihood that players will be able to properly play the matches. I’m obviously talking about the constant dreadful noise generated by the thousands of vuvuzelas used by the South African fans, which drowns out commentators, players and coaches alike and is quite frankly very annoying, especially since it’s heard constantly from the first to the last moment of every match, and likely also before and after.
It was apparently decided that, despite all the protests, these instruments can’t be banned because they play a key role in an authentic South African experience and they’re deeply rooted in the culture of South African football fans. Well then, I’ll say that means the South African football culture is incompatible with hosting an event of this magnitude, because neither the players nor the viewers from other countries signed up for this “complete South African football experience” that FIFA decided can only be achieved with the help of these instruments. So if FIFA decided to get everyone over there for its own interests, it should at least try to make them feel somewhat at home, because this is its fault and not the fault of the South Africans. In the end, the South Africans do what they like if they’re allowed, just like anyone else would, but FIFA should have reminded everyone that this is an international event and not just a South African one!

As for security, I think everyone is quite well aware of the problems. There’s a significant level of crime, including organized crime, a good part of it violent, and the number of homicides that take place there is really shocking. And let’s not forget the huge number of HIV positive people in South Africa, many of them not even aware of the disease, which creates a different kind of threat when you consider what this huge number of fans, most of them male, means for the local sex trade and that people will skip using condoms even under normal circumstances, so even more so in the insanity generated by the World Cup.
So, while still hoping I’ll be proven wrong, I don’t think it’s a question of whether there will be more than what could be considered an usual number of tragic events during this edition, but only of exactly how many more and how tragic. And, while those are only risks that ultimately affect those who choose to go there, the risk of an HIV pandemic after the fans will return home is truly frightening.
And then you also have things like this, which show the kind of environment those teams need to train and play in and highlights other risks and health hazards faced by those who go there…

So, while I know pretty much everything is being done to reduce the risks and therefore don’t really expect something of catastrophic proportions, I do expect a lot of bad things to happen, some of them only being noticeable after the World Cup will be over. But I’m posting this here now so I’ll be able to compare the end results with the expectations. We shall see.