Analysis: A little advice for Eskom’s new CEO, Brian Dames After a long search, Eskom finally has a chief executive officer to take it to new, happier hunting grounds. As always, we have some nuggets of wisdom to impart. Okay, maybe just nuggets of common sense, but hey, it’s what’s been lacking for the longest time. An open letter to Budweiser: Please will you sponsor all South African sport? Wholesale rates available RE: Sponsoring all South African teams across all sports and in all stadiums – and banning other beer brands.
The top English fan, revisited Remember Mark Perryman? If not, we’ll remind you: he’s the guy we interviewed in May, before he was internationally famous. Turns out he was right: England fans are behaving and he is having a whale of a time.
World Cup week one wrap-up, minus the soccer Rubber bullets, ear worms, the embarrassing opportunism of trade unions, Shakira’s trademark hip swivel and a little baby called Fifa. The Daily Maverick rounds up the week’s global media reporting on what’s been happening off the field.
World Cup match reports
With some help from Hand of God, Hurricane Brazil hits the Ivory Coast It was the match that was eagerly expected by the connoisseurs around the world. And for most of it Brazil, and to a much lesser extent Ivory Coast, obliged with a display of quality soccer. But they also gave us glimpses into the darkness. It ended Brazil 3, Ivory Coast 1.
New Zealanders’ brave hearts hold world champions Italy to a 1:1 draw We’ve seen some pretty big upsets in the World Cup so far – Spain against Switzerland and Germany against Serbia – but this afternoon’s result must be the most astonishing of all. How on earth did a small rugby nation manage to get a point against the world champions? It would now take extreme bravery to put money on any team winning the World Cup.
Paraguay whacks Slovakia without breaking a sweat It was supposed to be a battle of two pretty equal sides. But on their way to South Africa, Paraguay comfortably defeated Brazil and Argentina; Slovakia was not going to worry them either. The Bloemfontein Group F game ended Paraguay 2, Slovakia 0.
Cameroon loses to Denmark, crashes out of World Cup Well, it was time for the Danes to show their real nature. Unfortunately for Cameroon, they chose the match against them to come out as a fast, clinical and efficient side. It ended Denmark 2, Cameroon 1.
Ghana’s Black Stars fight boldly, only manage a draw against the 10-man Ozzies It was one more game in which both sides fought valiantly and both sides refused to give up. At the end, the result, 1-1, was a fair representation of both sides’ efforts. Pity about the refereeing, again.
The industrious Dutch break Japan’s iron defence, but only just The Netherlands came close to making the same mistake that the German and Spanish side fell for, of dominating possession but not converting it into chances at goals. Fortunately for them, Wesley Sneijder’s shot found the back of the net. After they won the game 1-0, the Dutch have now officially qualified for the next round.
Algerians frustrate English stars into goalless draw The England team ran out at the Green Point Stadium tonight with the best line-up they have. And yet, it was not enough to break the Algerian’s steely resolve. The night of frustration ended with no goals and not much excitement.
Yanks force a late draw against Slovenia. Oh, and get robbed of victory Johannesburg’s Ellis Park provided a theatre for the game of surprise and drama in which Slovenia dominated the first half and the US forced their way back in the second. Pity about the refereeing, though. It ended US 2, Slovenia 2.
In shock reversal of first-round fortunes, unsteady Germans lose to unpredictable Serbs It was supposed to be an easy outing for the rampaging Germans, freshly energised by their destruction of Australia. But, not for the first time in history, (remember who started World War One?) Serbs had some ideas on their own. It ended Serbia 1, Germany 0.
|