MATCH-FIXING IN ITS PUREST FORM: why Zimbabwe's scandal will create waves in South Africa

IMPLICATED: former Swallows coach Ian Gorowa

SOMEWHERE in Zimbabwe this morning, there is a bloke called “Ben” who must be a very frightened man.

Ben is the only name we have for the “whistle-blower” who has lifted the lid on the latest Zimbabwean match-fixing scandal, revealing a web of deceit which reaches deep in to South Africa’s PSL.

At least seven players at four South African clubs were offered payments in February this year. As far as we know, none of those approaches were reported to SAFA.

So what do we know about Ben? We know he gets on well with lots of professional footballers north of the Limpopo River. He’s probably a former professional footballer, and might have reached the lower ranks of agents and coaches.

We also know, thanks to the remarkable tales run in the Zimbabwe Herald this week, that “Ben” is well connected with ZIFA officials who are no strangers to such shady shenanigans.

There are other names too. A South Africa-based Italian (who may look Asian) called “Chief”, who is reputed to be related to the legendary match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal from Singapore. I believe this man is a former South African agent with links to the rapidly disappearing giant Moroka Swallows.

Then there’s former ZIFA chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya (“Mutha” in match-fixing circles), former Moroka Swallows coach Ian Gorowa (“Ian” who was also a caretaker manager at Mamelodi Sundowns) and the infamous Edzai Kasinauyo (“Kazma") who used to play for Swallows and Ajax Cape Town.

The named players? George Chigova, the Polokwane City goalkeeper who just last month won Man of the Match against Kaizer Chiefs.

Chigova was allegedly paid $15 000 and Polokwane defensive midfielder Lebogang Motumi got $10 000 in a deal to lose against Bidvest Wits, currently second in the PSL. On January 22, Rise and Shine - having beaten SuperSport United 4-1 the previous weekend - lost 5-0 to the Clever Boys with James Keene scoring a hat-trick.

AmaTuks goalkeeper Washington Arubi is named too, though he vehemently refused to take money off “Ben” and “nearly assaulted” the whistle-blower.

However the approach - apparently including team-mate Partson Jaure - was never made public.

Bloemfontein Celtic ‘keeper Patrick Tignyemb and defensive midfielder Lansthene Phalane are also implicated, which might help to explain Siwelele’s worrying slide down the PSL table.

There is also mention of Chippa United defender Mbuyiselo Sambo, who apparently agreed to help lose a game against Free State Stars.

This is not rumour-mongering. Zimbabwean police have evidence of $400 000 payments made to a South African bank account, they have SMS and WhatsApp messages between the fixers.

From the makers of AsiaGate, when copies of the Zimbabwe team-list were routinely burned and players - still unpunished - contrived to lose all over the world, there is little doubt the sequel is far more serious for South Africa.

But my tweets about this affair have been ignored by SAFA and the PSL, not to mention their talkative Communications Directors Dominic Chimhavi and Luxulo September, the man who continues to deny us crowd figures for games in South Africa.

Mlungisi Ncame apparently travelled to Harare last week to view the evidence pertaining to the PSL. He’s SAFA’s “Head of Security” though we have not heard a word from an organisation run by President Danny Jordaan, who doubles up as major of Port Elizabeth these days.

Clearly, this is serious. Some kind of response should emenate from SAFA House or Parktown. Just look at this extract from "Ben" in his statement to ZIFA: 

“I eventually met Rushwaya at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton. She was with three men of Asian extraction, one of them called “Chief” who lives in South Africa.

“Rushwaya said she wanted to start a sports betting business focusing mainly on the South African ABSA Premier League and the Zimbabwean Premier Soccer League.

“She wanted to employ me because of my close association with Zimbabwean footballers based inside and outside South Africa. I was to distribute cash payments to footballers to compromising their performance for the benefit of the betting cartels.

“The first footballer I approached (Feb 2, 2016) was Washington Arubi who currently plays for University of Pretoria in South Africa with a view to persuade him to compromise his performance in the forthcoming match against Free State Stars.

“Upon broaching the subject with him he vehemently refused and even threatened to assault me. He then immediately reported me to (goalkeeping coach) Tendai Tanyanyiwa who threatened to call the police. I only escaped by fleeing the scene.

“I’m in possession of WhatsApp Messenger text messages which I exchanged with Rushwaya following the rejection of our offer by Arubi. I attach, hereto, a copy of those text messages as Annexure ‘A1-A-6’.

“At all material times I was liaising with and co-ordinating my role with Edzai who, after my escape from University of Pretoria, contacted me (Feb 4, 2016) through mobile number +27725702427 by sending a text message at 11:19 hours demanding the return of the money I had been given to give to Washington Arubi.

“Further I communicated with Edzai (Feb 17, 2016) on the same number after he had directed me to a meeting which was to be attended by Ian Gorowa.

“He assured me that Ian was very knowledgeable of match-fixing and had a relationship with many players since 1996.”

There is much discussion about fixing the upcoming AFCON qualifiers between Zimbabwe and Swaziland: “It was agreed that the first player to be approached would be Tatenda Mukuruva.

“We convened another meeting (in Sandton, Feb 29, 2016) which was attended by Rushwaya, Gorowa, ‘Chief’, Edzai and myself. Gorowa indicated that we target Mukuruva the goalkeeper.

“We had three players who were supposed to ensure that Zimbabwe would lose by a two-goal margin. In the event that Zimbabwe scored, the compromised players had to ensure that Zimbabwe lost 3-1 with an obligation to concede a penalty and receive a red card.”

It’s a statement that cannot be disputed. Match-fixing in its purest form. We wait SAFA’s response with some trepidation.

If you wish to use this story in your publication, please credit me and link to @nealcol on twitter. No charge.

Reconciliation day for KINGSTON NKHATHA and the Kaizer Chiefs boo boys: Baxter keeps the runaway train firmly on track

Kingston the first: Nkhatha and Parker celebrate the opening goal
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THERE are days in every footballer’s life when things go according to plan. They are not to be sniffed at in a career where Madam Fortune can mess you up in a moment.

Kaizer Chiefs striker Kingston Nkhatha had one of those days at the soggy Peter Mokabe Stadium this afternoon. With his faithful coach Stuart Baxter putting his career on the line to defend the 29-year-old Zimbabwean from booing “fans”, Nkhatha back-heeled his second goal of the season in the 35^th minute to ease the pressure all round.

And it was Nkhatha who produced the cross for Siya Nkosi’s second goal as the AmaKhosi went on to beat a lively Free State Stars 2-1 to equal the record of 17 games unbeaten set by arch-rivals Orlando Pirates. Chiefs are currently 16 points clear in a footballing world where only Bayern Munich, nine ahead in the Bundesliga, can hold a candle to Baxter’s men.

That’s why Nkhatha’s goal – amid a typically hard-working performance against a side playing well above their normal relegation-threatened level – was so important. Baxter had come out publicly (see my two previous posts) and said he would quit if the booing of his striker didn’t stop.

That was a significant step to take. A brave one, especially when you’re on top of the world. And Nkhatha repaid the debt in full. As he held the Man of the Match award tightly afterwards, the typically modest Kingston said: “This is a team award. We are always telling each other: keep pushing. That is what we do.”

Baxter, his jubilation marred only slightly by Tower Mathoho’s late own goal, said: “I work with Kingston, he knows I've got confidence in him. It was nice to see Nkatha going to his team-mates, they feel for him.

“That sort of camaraderie sees us through the storm. We can beat any team is this league but any team can beat us. If we don’t prepare properly for every game, we’ll be stepping on a landmine."

Baxter has been tip-toeing around landmines ever since he arrived back in South Africa 30 months ago. He started with an awful 4-1 defeat against Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 and a storm over his CV. But he went on to become the first foreign coach to win the PSL in his first season, was 11 points clear last season before a cataclysmic collapse let Sundowns in to snatch the title.

This season, with Knowledge Musona walking away and Bernard Parker recovering from ankle surgery, he has had to rely on Nkhatha to lead the line. Incredibly, Chiefs won their first 8 League games…took R1.5 million for Q1 and the R8m MTN8 trophy. Miraculous stuff.

Take that: Nkhatha's back heel beats Verbauwhede

But even as he produced another footballing miracle, Baxter came under pressure for his continual selection of Nkhatha.

We don’t see the lads in training. We don’t see the tactics on the board. We don’t appreciate the genius involved in going 17 games unbeaten when your strikers have scored five goals between them.

But the boo boys let rip anyway, and Baxter decried his errant fans, particularly in Polokwane, as “idiots”. It wasn’t clever. Heat of the moment stuff. I told Stuart he should apologise on Sunday. Baxter refused. He took me back to his school days, remembering when his father Bill was over-looked for the Aston Villa job in England: “It’s all about respect, Neal” he said “This team deserves that respect. My players deserve respect. Kingston deserves respect. I will not accept the booing of my players when we are top of the league.”

And with that stance, Baxter went in to yesterday’s game at a venue he doesn’t enjoy. He stuck with Nkhatha. He was without his defensive midfield talisman Willard Katsande (who has just SMSed me to say he’ll be back at the weekend after a stomach muscle injury) and the suspended pair George Maluleka and Morgan Gould.

To win despite those changes, to have Nkhatha score, pick up his sixth assist of the season AND win Man of the Match, to triumph against a Free State Stars raising their game for Chiefs, was little short of a fairy tale. Amid torrential rainfall, they defied the conditions on the same pitch where in-form Polokwane City had crumbled against struggling AmaTuks and lost 5-1. Incredible.

By my calculations, including the two games they didn’t lose at the tail-end of last season, Kaizer Chiefs are now NINETEEN unbeaten in the PSL. If you include their four-match MTN8 triumph and a penalty-shoot out defeat in the second game of the Telkom KO (which counts, statistically, as a draw) plus the second African Champions League game against AS Vita last season, I make it 28 games unbeaten.

Can anybody, anywhere match this at the moment? Yet there was Baxter afterwards, cheerfully telling Carol Tshabalala: “We are not finishing off games that are there for the taking. We have to improve on that. There is work to be done.”


This morning a relieved Baxter said: "It seems what happened on Saturday helped. That small section (we had trouble with) tried to cheer Kingston tonight, whatever happened on the field.


"They supported him even when he missed. The atmosphere was brilliant and Kingston deservedly won the Man of the Match award."

Amazing. And there are people out there who say Baxter can go if he doesn’t like the boo-boys. Look back on this day, AmaKhosi fans. And realise just how good it is to support a side capable of invincibility. No side has ever gone through a PSL season unbeaten. The record is two defeats. Chiefs are more than halfway there. Five more wins out of 13 should do it.

My teams Arsenal and Amazulu can only dream of such heights. Forever Fearless. The train is on track. And Baxter is in the driving seat. He deserves a little more respect.

Bafana Bafana assistant coach Thomas Madigage dies in road accident driving to visit his sick mother

Tragic: Thomas Madigage and Gordon Igesund

THOMAS MADIGAGE is dead. The Bafana Bafana assistant coach, loved by all, passed away last night on the notorious 145km stretch of the R37 between Burgersfort and Polokwane on his way to visit his sick mother.

There is no easy way to convey news of that nature. Confirmation of Madigage's passing came at first light and the outpouring of grief on the social networking sites offers the first hint of just how popular the "man in the hat" was in this country.

SuperSport United chairman Khulu Sibiya said this morning: "I'm devastated. As a footballer, let me tell you, I still have great memories of him as a 16-year-old boy. I remember when we beat Kaizer Chiefs, he scored this amazing goal to win the BobSave.

"Thomas was just a pillar of strength. He was just complete. Off the field, what a perfect gentleman. He would never pass somebody without greeting. We have lost a perfect human being.

"Thomas did not see a footballer. He saw a person. When we signed a new youngster, he would take him aside and find out how he lived. He knew every player's family."

Bafana Bafana captain Bongani Khumalo said: "I will forever remember and learn from Thomas. I am devastated by his loss which will leave a huge void in my life. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. RIP Tommy. I will miss you, but will never forget you and will do whatever possible to make sure your legacy endures on and off the field of play."

Wrecked: Thomas Madigage's car after the accident

Madigage hit an animal on the notorious stretch of road and died on the scene. My friend Lucy Magkopa, who lives in the area and travels there regularly, confirms that donkeys and cows often stray on to the road, unfenced for long stretches.

Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi of the Limpopo police said: "We can confirm that Thomas was alone in the vehicle. He passed away last night between 10pm and midnight. There was one car towing a caravan in front of him. That car managed to swerve and avoid the donkey but he could not. His car hit it."

Madigage was 41. Famous for his "lucky" ZCC hat and touchline celebrations, he was taken before his time, having recently returned from South Africa's Tuesday night 2-1 win over Kenya. Just as it appeared he was helping to create a side capable of doing the nation proud at AFCON 2013 next year, he has been taken from us.

In July, the SuperSport United assistant coach, who won three PSL titles with Gavin Hunt, was head-hunted by new Bafana boss Gordon Igesund.

Igesund said at the time: "I knew immediately who I wanted, it had to be Thomas. I called Gavin and he was reluctant to lose him. But I said it was for the country and he agreed. Thomas and I had a long chat about the hat! He's such a great guy."

While Igesund was too upset to talk this morning, Hunt said: “I’m absolutely gutted, absolutely devastated. We were more than work colleagues, we were great mates off the field.

“We spent hours and hours chatting about life; not even football, more about life. When he got the Bafana job he actually didn’t want to go. I said to him that he has got to do it. I do think that I pushed him over the edge to go.

“I told him it was a lifetime opportunity and I was so glad. If you look at what’s happened, that he had the opportunity to have a taste of it.

“He can rest well now. It’s just such a pity that he won’t be there for the Africa Cup of Nations in his own country next year.”.”

Madigage himself, typically self-effacing, said of his role with Bafan: “There were people with better qualifications who deserved this job more than me, but with the grace of God I have the opportunity to serve the nation and I am very thankful. We need the support of the country as this team belongs to every South African.

“I have had successful people around me - coaches like Shane McGregor Bruce Grobbelaar, Pitso Mosimane and Gavin Hunt – those are the people who have groomed me and allowed me to share my football knowledge with them.

“I also have to give thanks to the PSL for allowing me to apply my skills. SuperSport United deserve a lot of credit for giving a former player a chance to be on the technical team immediately after hanging up my boots because not a lot of clubs would have done that.

“I have known Gordon for 20 years and we have been on the opposite side of football teams in that period. We will be working together for the first time. I know he has great man-management skills and he has the ability to get the best out of his players. I know the players as I have been in the background and I know the mentality they have.

“We want to play winning football and we want to see results. We have a goal to at least reach the semifinals of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. We should just look towards the future.”

Football journalist Mathews Mpete told eNCAnews this morning: "I know he was on his way to visit his sick mother. To us he was one of those guys who didn't want to be at the forefront.

"On Sunday, when Gordon had a stomach bug, Thomas had to talk. He was so happy to have beaten Kenya. He was a religious person who would pray for you. He knew football, he would spend all night talking football until 3am, entertaining us, enjoying music.

"It's a sad day for South African football. People like Thomas Madigage cannot be replaced." 

If there are still gods on Mount Olympus, Caster Semenya will be crowned queen of the 800m again tonight

Going for gold tonight: Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya will bring South Africa to a halt tonight, just as Chad Le Clos did a week ago in the swimming pool. And, just like her butterflying compatriot, Semenya is EXPECTED to win gold over 800m at the Olympic Stadium in London.

That we should put that kind of pressure on a woman who has been through so much is both unfair and typical of this rainbow nation, where so much is expected by so many from so few in the sporting world.

But the lass from Limpopo herself appears unfazed. Just this morning, after an emphatic semi-final win of 1:57.67 on Thursday night, we read: “I was a bit nervous but this British crowd makes me feel at home and reminds me of good memories. I have to stretch out on the last 100m.

“It’s about putting on the spikes and just running. The time I ran makes me very confident. It’s about running your own race, you have to think of yourself and about yourself. You have to run a good time to get into the final and that’s what I did. I'm happy with that.

“Sometimes, if you want to run a good race, you have to forget about everybody, just think about your own race because it can disturb you.”

If there are any gods left on Mount Olympus, Caster – the fastest qualifier for tonight’s final – will see off reigning Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo of Kenya and dangerous Russian Elena Arzhakova who have both been in far better form than South Africa’s favourite athlete in the build-up to London 2012.

The complex story of Mokgadi Caster Semenya is perhaps summed up best by the girl from Ga-Masehlong herself. She says: "God made me the way I am and I accept myself."

Most South Africans, having seen the pain she went through at close quarters, would agree with that statement. So many foreign watchers are only too keen to ignore the subtlety of such self-examination.

It was when Semenya exploded on the world stage at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, with a scorching time of 1:55.45, that Caster became a household name… and her life was ruthlessly picked apart.

With nobody to protect her, with the world’s media desperately seeking lurid details, somebody leaked the news that Caster Semenya had been subjected to gender testing just THREE HOURS before the World Championship final.

Lamine Diack, the IAAF president, admitted to a “leak of confidentiality” and insisted his organisation had been “obliged to investigate” because Caster had improved by 25 seconds at 1500m and eight seconds at 800 m "the sort of dramatic breakthroughs that usually arouse suspicion of drug use."

As international anger at Caster’s exposure grew, the IAAF denied racism and claimed the test was not about suspected cheating but to discover is she was suffering from “a rare medical condition". Though the IAAF later apologised and let Caster keep her medal and prize money, Wilfred Daniels, Semenya's coach, resigned saying Athletics South Africa (ASA) "did not advise Ms Semenya properly". Then, in September 2009, ASA President Leonard Chuene admitted he too had subjected Semenya to gender checks, but hadn’t explained the true purpose of the tests to the runner.

With no scientific investigation, no real justification, Caster was withdrawn from international competition until 6 July 2010 – and only then did the IAAF clear her to return to competition with no cogent explanation for the ordeal she had been forced to go through.

Her parents and grandparents in Fairlie near Polokwane were subjected to endless questioning about her teen years as “a tomboy”, her headmaster at Nthema Secondary School was pounced on when he admitted she had worn trousers rather than a skirt in grade 11. All this was seen as evidence of something that rigorous science had emphatically disproved.

Semenya returned to take silver at the 2011 World Championships and has been working at the Pretoria University High Performance Centre – which produced world-record breaking breast-stroke golden boy Cameron van der Burgh and the Oarsome Foursome – to put herself back on top of the world of two-lap running.

Tonight we will see the results of that effort. And find out just how strong Caster Semenya is. Let nobody raise the issue of gender if Semenya is crowned the world’s 800m queen again tonight.

Benni McCarthy's World Cup dream is over... you read it here four months ago!

BENNI McCARTHY is out of South Africa’s World Cup squad. It’s a shock for the hosts, but they were warned. On February 26, the Star in Johannesburg ran a story saying Benni McCarthy would not make it. At 32, South Africa’s top scorer had just moved from Blackburn to West Ham for £2.5m. Injured on his debut, he never really recovered as the Hammers battled for Premier League survival. Towards the end of the season he made a couple of substitute appearances but looked well short of his best.

South African readers may recall a few days after the “Injury set to rule Benni out of the World Cup” story, his agent Rob Moore told the Star’s rival, The Citizen, that Benni would be fit and that the story was “speculative” and a result of “lazy journalism”.

Big mistake. The story was written by me. Just google my name and Benni’s. The story is still there: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=2871&art_id=vn20100226094021691C834936. I quoted a West Ham source as saying "Benni's not looking good. That knee is a problem. South Africa may be in trouble if they think he's going to be their major World Cup striker."

To his credit, McCarthy responded to the axe tonight by saying: "The final squad is a tough call for any coach to make and I am sure it was not made without heartache. My fitness level came into question after weeks recovering from my knee injury, but the coach still believed in me, as did I and the rest of the team , and I am grateful for that.

"No-one's place in the final squad is a given. We all gave it our best and pushed ourselves to our limits to make the cut. In the end it comes down to a head count. I am proud to have been given the privilege to have been capped in the South African national squad; unfortunately this time it was not to be.

"All the players who made the national call-up should be proud; we did not fail, we just didn't make the final 23. We are still a part of the team, if not the squad.

"We have a strong team that everyone will be proud of and I am in no doubt we will make our mark with the ground swell of support the team has been receiving of late.

"If the carnival spirit of the Super 14 semi-final and Final is a measure of the united support we are to expect for Bafana, then I see us excelling. My role now is to join in that support."

Today, sadly, McCarthy’s fate was sealed as South Africa named their squad in Sandton, four months after we broke the news. And I can finally reveal my source. West Ham’s first team coach Kevin Keen. His son Eddie and my boy Harry play in the same Chalfont Saints Under 15 team. He told me, quietly, that South Africa’s top striker was struggling. I didn’t want to use his name, he had spoken to me as a mate. That’s not lazy journalism, it’s fact.

McCarthy has been telling West Ham and South Africa he was fit. He wasn’t. Sad, but true.

Fresh from a record 5-0 thumping of Guatemala, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira told us: "A team in football is when somebody is sharing the same target. We are ready to make you proud."

The genial Brazilian World Cup-winner, unbeaten in ten games since his return to the hottest seat in football last November, added: “I am happy with our preparation. Our 1-1 draw with Bulgaria saw two good sides fighting eachother. Our bottle was only percent full when we first got together in Brazil two months ago. I told the players we have to fill that bottle.

“It is nearly full now. We beat Colombia, we have beaten Thailand and Guatemala who were easier opposition. But each time, we have put a drip in the bottle.”

The four players axed with McCarthy as Parreira cut his squad to the stipulated 23 were goalkeeper Rowan Fernandez, youngster Franklin Cale, as well as defenders Bryce Moon and Innocent Mdledle.

My video of Monday night’s friendly in Polokwane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjzwzNhaeTM

The squad in full: Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates), Shu-Aib Walters (Maritzburg United), .

Defenders: Matthew Booth, Siboniso Gaxa (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bongani Khumalo (SuperSport United), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa, Israel), Aaron Mokoena (Portsmouth, England), Anele Ngcongca (Racing Genk, Belgium), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Lucas Thwala (Pirates).

Midfielders: Surprise Moriri, Lance Davids (Ajax Cape Town), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham, England), Teko Modise (Pirates), Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala (both Kaizer Chiefs), Steven Pienaar (Everton, England), Macbeth Sibaya (Rubin Kazan, Russia), Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows).

Strikers: Katlego Mphela (Sundowns), Siyabonga Nomvethe (Moroka Swallows), Bernard Parker (FC Twente, Holland).

South Africa 5, Guatemala 0: It's loud, it's brash... but it's a beautiful noise!

SO this is how it’s going to be at the World Cup. Loud. Cheerful. Passionate. Loud. Colourful. Dramatic. Did I mention loud?

I’m at the Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane, in the far north of South Africa. The stadium holds 45,000. There are about 38,000 in for the hosts’ penultimate pre-tournament friendly against lowly, volcano-ravaged Guatemala. And everyone of them has a Vuvuzela. And they know how to blow it.

South Africa are 4-0 up. Katlego Mphela scored the first from the spot after a dodgy penalty decision after 12 minutes, but Renielwe Letsholonyane provided a neat second just before the halfway mark.

The aptly-named Surprise Moriri, who has shocked everyone with his contributions lately including Brazilian boss Carlos Alberto Parreira, made it 3-0 before another penalty, this time from Katlego Mphela, pushed the Latin Americans right out of the game after 56 minutes.

Stirring stuff. Every move, every pass greeted by a rising of the Vuvuzela blast... and the goals nearly brought the house down at this magnificent new stadium. But the noise is justified. South Africa, ranked 83 in the world in the latest FIFA rankings, are now unbeaten in 10 since Parreira decided to return to the hot-seat last November. He’s said today he won’t stay on after the World Cup, but he’ll have to if they win it.

Okay, it’ll never happen. But last night, as Portsmouth’s Aaron Mokoena won his 100^thcap, Bafana Bafana fans were entitled to dream. And blow their horns.

After a period of consistent under-achievement since they won the African Cup on Nations 15 years ago, the giants of the continent are starting to raise hopes. They could reached the knock-out stages as the third time of asking. They could avoid being the first World Cup hosts not to reach the knock-out stages.

As I type, Bernard Parker, on as a sub, has just thumped in the fifth goal of the night. A roar rents the chilly African sky. This is the Highveld winter, at night it can hit freezing.

But not here at the Peter Mokabe Stadium, where Algeria will meet Slovenia, France play Mexico, Greece take on Argentina and (whisper it) Paraguay battle against the might of New Zealand during the World Cup proper.

And again, while the British press mount their anti-African campaign – I’ve just read a deeply flawed Daily Mail piece on the internet, it makes me puke – I am struck by the goodwill of the people. By the efforts already made to host the greatest footballing show on earth.

At half-time, the lights failed in the media refreshment room. Profuse apologies, torches. No problem. The press box has yet to be completed. Raised eyebrows. But they found us a place, found extension cables to fire up the lap tops... and away we go.

I’ve just done TalkSport radio for the English listeners, trying to explain this deafening atmosphere, this uplifting buzz... even in Polokwane, once known as Pietersburg, in the remote north of the country. It’s a three hour drive from Johannesburg, but on a brand new toll road. Dual carriageway throughout.

On and off the pitch, South Africa works hard. The days countdown. This morning the USA arrived in Irene Lodge, just down the road from my base in Centurion. The police helicopters were out, the nation is on red alert from everything from terrorism to deadly snakes.

With a smile, this people look after you, make sure you’re safe. That’s South Africa. Not the ugly mess you read about in the less respectable British newspapers. And at their heart, Steven Pienaar, the Everton player of the year, moved to a central midfield role. Probing. Linking. The hope of the nation. It’s worked tonight. Can it work against Mexico, Uruguay and France?

The World Cup venues: what the players, WAGs and fans can expect

THE World Cup venues in South Africa are so diverse, they could just be the key to England’s success next summer. Before tomorrow’s draw in Cape Town, players, WAGS and fans might be interested in a quick guide to the nine towns on offer.

From Cape Town in the south to Polokwane in the north, the grounds for next year’s tournament are stretched over 1,000 miles, the equivalent of travelling the length of England - and back.

The climate ranges from tropical to Mediterranean, the altitude from sea level in Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth to a breathless 5,000 feet in Johannesburg, with Pretoria, Rustenburg, Nelspruit. Bloemfontein and Polokwane also high on the escarpment which rises in the centre of the country.

Next June will be winter in South Africa, but that doesn’t guarantee rain. The inland cities (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg) are basically parched from April to September, with rainfall in the summer only. Though the World Cup pitches will be watered, generally amateur football is played on concrete-like surfaces with dead grass in the winter. Overnight frosts are not uncommon.

On the coast, Cape Town has winter rain, much like Britain, while steamy Durban can be wet all year round – though it has also suffered years of drought in the past. Port Elizabeth lies somewhere between the two, geographically and climatically.

Then there’s the development to consider. Cape Town is essentially a European city plonked on the end of the continent, with a rich history and nearby wine lands. Port Elizabeth and Durban are pleasant seaside resorts, though tropical Durban can get extremely humid in the summer, our winter.

Downtown Johannesburg has improved but Sandton, to the north, is where the cricket and rugby teams generally reside and offers just about everything a British town could offer. Similarly, the middle of Pretoria is not as welcoming as you’d hope, but Centurion to the south is stockbroker belt as far as shops and restaurants go.

England won’t want to go to the outlying areas though. Polokwane is remote and too far north to be a tourist trap, though it is surrounded by game parks. Nelspruit offers great hiking trails and forests but is by no means a metropolis. And Rustenburg, though close to the casinos and golf courses of Sun City, is hardly where you’d want to spend a holiday.

And then there’s Bloemfontein. It’s a big city but no paradise for English tourists. Though Bloemfontein Celtic, the local professional side, offer perhaps the most demonstrative fans in the South African Premier Division, Bloemfontein is generally considered, like Pretoria, a bastion of rugby and Afrikanerdom. Though things are changing since the outbreak of democracy in 1993, English accents are not always greeted with welcoming smiles.

Fabio Capello, though tempted to ban the wives and girlfriends, knows the WAGS will come out for the World Cup. But if the side are drawn to play in Nelspruit, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein or Polokwane, God help them. Let’s get this straight, these are not holiday resorts, they are remote African towns unsuitable for wandering the shops and going out at night. During the World Cup, there will be a livelier atmosphere, but visit those town centres tomorrow and you’d find it pretty inhospitable. It’s hard to imagine 20,000 England fans happily spending a few days in any of them.

Though plush game reserves surround the three northern cities there are no obvious places for WAGs or fans to amuse themselves. Bloemfontein offers more but a London orbital town like Watford would be far more vibrant. Though the FA has looked at Rustenburg’s soccer academy as a possible pre-tournament camp venue, those four cities are not quite what England will be after.

Johannesburg and Pretoria, though also at altitude, which presents its own problems, can offer reasonable facilities for fans and WAGs... as long as they do as they’re told. There are areas around both cities which will suit English travellers and Loftus Versveld, the World Cup ground in Pretoria, is a reasonable venue for fans to prepare for a match.

Ellis Park in central Johannesburg and Soccer City, near Soweto, are less welcoming but should be well marshalled during matches. Again, fans would be advised not to wander too far afield at either venue.

But if it’s a quality World Cup England and their fans are after, the coastal cities should provide it.

Durban’s brand new Moses Mobhida Stadium (pictured) is a monumental effort, complete with a Wembley-style arch and a walkway to the nearby North Beach, which is really what the biggest city in KwaZulu Natal is all about. Though the centre of Durban shows signs of decay, new developments around the once-feared harbour end of town have improved matters. North of Durban, England fans might find plush beach resorts like Umhlanga and Ballito worth exploring. Durban also offers some of the largest shopping malls in the country, with Gateway near Umhlanga the largest in the southern hemisphere. It’s WAG paradise with every designer outlet and for fans, there are rooftop go-karts, 10-pin bowling, cinemas, a theatre and plenty of restaurants.

Port Elizabeth is smaller than Durban and again, the centre shows signs of decay. But south of the city offers similar beachside facilities to Durban, with casinos and safe night-time venues. Not renowned as a football hub, Bayi, as it is now known, boasts the country’s loudest cricket fans and a good match-day atmosphere. Hopefully they’ll turn up for the football too.

And finally, saving the best to last, we travel down the beautiful Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town and the new Green Point Stadium. The oldest city in South Africa has it all. The cable car up Table Mountain, the cruise out to Robben Island, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront, the nearby winelands. Paradise. England’s cricket and rugby fans will confirm that Cape Town is the place to be for players, fans and hangers-on. There are dozens of top-of-the-range shopping malls and, unlike the rest of South Africa, the houses are not fenced in. Cape Town has a less paranoid approach to crime.

In summary:

Where England want to be:

• Green Point Stadium, Cape Town (70,000)

Perfect draw for England. No altitude to worry about, winter’s much like England but slightly warmer. Fine new stadium.

• Moses Mobhida Stadium, Durban (68,000)
Winter will ease the tropical problems of heat and humidity, great beaches even in winter...and another brand new stadium.

• Nelson Mandela Stadium, Port Elizabeth (50,000)

Stay south of the city for the best of Bayi, plenty of English settler history inland, beautiful coastline north and south

Where England will struggle with altitude but might be okay:

• Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg (60,000)

Situated close to the centre of the golden city, it still feels a bit intimidating in the streets but a ground with a big history.
• Soccer City, Johannesburg (95,000)

Close to Soweto, great stadium with an African design, but needs further development around the ground

• Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria (45,000)
Home of the rugby gods the Blue Bulls, pleasant area near centre of Pretoria, shouldn’t be a problem

Where England won’t want to be:

• Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit (40,000)

It’s a small town, good for game reserves and hiking but not football fans. Trouble over the new stadium appears to be over.
• Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein (40,000)

It’s not a town you instantly fall in love with but it’s big and bustling and the stadium is an established rugby venue
• Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg (40,000)

Sun City, half-an-hour away, is worth a visit. Rustenburg isn’t, though it has been pushed as a big footballing venue of late

• Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane (40,000)

Once known as Pietersburg, Polokwane is a remote northern town, a long way from the centre of the action