All the build-up seemed to threaten the un-thinkable: that Mexico might actually go and win this one, ruthlessly crushing the sky-high hopes and dreams of millions of South Africans. The multitudes of interviews with jubilant men, women and children all loyal to the Bafana Bafana cause seemed to pessimistic me that a awful defeat beckoned, and the first ten minutes seemed to confirm my fears.
It was a good seven minutes before the first South African player actually managed to get that pesky Jubilani under control; Mexico were making South Africa look like they were doing their best to fulfil that old African football team stereotype: decent individuals but no idea how to pass and defensively naive. Mexico had a goal ruled out shortly after for offside, but then something strange happened. South Africa remembered how to pass, and although it came to nothing, they worked the ball with skill and speed down the left, and with just a touch more vision the left-winger could have been played through (sorry, I don't know any of their names, bar Pienaar and Mokoena. And Tshabalala, who I'll get to shortly). There was another interlude of erattic play from the hosts, before something similar happened again, and I thought, perhaps this team are decent after all. Half time arrived with the scores still 0-0, with Mexico looking increasingly impotent despite the endeavours of Giovanni Dos Santos, who looks and plays like Ronaldinho's younger brother.
After continuing very much in the same vein the first half finished for ten minutes, South Africa scored, and it was an absolute beauty. Siphiwe Shabalala was put through but a surgical daisy-cutter on the left, he took a touch and walloped it past Perez straight into the top-right corner; replays showed Shabalala making perfect contact. The din from the already infamous vuvuzuelas became intolerable, what it must have been like inside the stadium I hope I'll never know.
South Africa were unable to find a second, and Mexico finally did my eardrums a favour and scored in the 78th minute. Thank God for that, a bit of peace and quiet. South Africa hit the woodwork following a route one pass in the dying minutes, but with neither side being able to make the decisive move the game finished 1-1.
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