June 22, 2010 9:15 PM 
A shame for Tshabalala
- Posted by Nigel Reed
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It was a day South Africa hoped it would not see. The vibrant, diverse host nation became the first in the 80 year history of the FIFA World Cup to fall at the first hurdle. Never before has the home country failed to negotiate the group stages.
Bafana Bafana can feel a little hard done by. Despite a lowly world ranking, which wouldn't have got them close to the World Cup had they not been staging it, the South Africans can walk away with their collective heads held high.
They didn't freeze on opening day against Mexico -- a game enlightened by a wonderful strike from Siphiwe Tshabalala. They were undone by a questionable refereeing decision against Uruguay but had the spirit to finish strongly against a bunch of rebels in blue shirts which passed for the French team.
The World Cup is a huge global celebration for the fans. For those inside the football industry it is business as usual. Managers, coaches and scouts see it very differently from the supporters. It is one big trade fair and the products are on the pitch.
I was working for the BBC in Liverpool when Gerard Houllier went shopping in 2002. The then Liverpool manager returned home from the Far East in triumph. He had plucked two of the successful Senegal squad from obscurity following their run to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool paid 15 million pounds (remember this is eight years ago) for striker El Hadji Diouf and defensive midfielder Salif Diao. Both are still playing in the English Premier League but Liverpool never got their money's worth.
Diouf scored just three Premier League goals in as many years for the Reds. He was more frequently in the newspapers for his brushes with authority than for his contributions on the field. Diao made less than 40 EPL appearances, although Houllier often used him out of position.
Transfer market overdrive
Once the 2010 World Cup is over, the transfer market will go into overdrive. Players' agents will be on the phone at all hours of the night and day negotiating deals for their clients. The agents know the World Cup is a giant shop window and a financial windfall is there for the taking.
I hope Tshabalala has a reputable agent. He's going to need one. The 25-year-old winger/attacking midfielder is surely about to follow in the footsteps of Diouf and Diao. His World Cup may be over but his career is about to take off.
Tshabalala has everything he needs to be a success. He followed up his sumptuous strike against the Mexicans with a pair of assists against France. He has pace, skill, and guile. More importantly he has a name commentators will love and a hairdo marketers will exploit.
Rightly or wrongly, money talks. His current club -- the Kaizer Chiefs -- will "reluctantly" bid farewell to their World Cup hero and dance all the way to the bank. I hope, for his sake, Tshabalala will be able to make the leap to European riches without falling prey to the accompanying temptations.
I'm genuinely sorry to see South Africa miss out on a place in the knock out stages. In a country where racial issues persist despite the dismantlement of apartheid, success on the football field would have helped heal a few more old wounds.
Soccer in general, and the World Cup in particular, has a way of unifying a nation. It appeals to young and old, black and white, captains of industry and unskilled labourers. South Africa cannot win the World Cup but its legacy, as hosts, can be so much greater than any trophy.
The world's superstars, fans and media will soon be gone. After the last flight departs, I hope a glow of pride and unity remains. The Rainbow Nation has shown it can welcome the world regardless of race or creed. Now can its inhabitants welcome each other?
Bafana Bafana can feel a little hard done by. Despite a lowly world ranking, which wouldn't have got them close to the World Cup had they not been staging it, the South Africans can walk away with their collective heads held high.
They didn't freeze on opening day against Mexico -- a game enlightened by a wonderful strike from Siphiwe Tshabalala. They were undone by a questionable refereeing decision against Uruguay but had the spirit to finish strongly against a bunch of rebels in blue shirts which passed for the French team.
The World Cup is a huge global celebration for the fans. For those inside the football industry it is business as usual. Managers, coaches and scouts see it very differently from the supporters. It is one big trade fair and the products are on the pitch.
I was working for the BBC in Liverpool when Gerard Houllier went shopping in 2002. The then Liverpool manager returned home from the Far East in triumph. He had plucked two of the successful Senegal squad from obscurity following their run to the quarter-finals.
Liverpool paid 15 million pounds (remember this is eight years ago) for striker El Hadji Diouf and defensive midfielder Salif Diao. Both are still playing in the English Premier League but Liverpool never got their money's worth.
Diouf scored just three Premier League goals in as many years for the Reds. He was more frequently in the newspapers for his brushes with authority than for his contributions on the field. Diao made less than 40 EPL appearances, although Houllier often used him out of position.
Transfer market overdrive
Once the 2010 World Cup is over, the transfer market will go into overdrive. Players' agents will be on the phone at all hours of the night and day negotiating deals for their clients. The agents know the World Cup is a giant shop window and a financial windfall is there for the taking.
I hope Tshabalala has a reputable agent. He's going to need one. The 25-year-old winger/attacking midfielder is surely about to follow in the footsteps of Diouf and Diao. His World Cup may be over but his career is about to take off.
Tshabalala has everything he needs to be a success. He followed up his sumptuous strike against the Mexicans with a pair of assists against France. He has pace, skill, and guile. More importantly he has a name commentators will love and a hairdo marketers will exploit.
Rightly or wrongly, money talks. His current club -- the Kaizer Chiefs -- will "reluctantly" bid farewell to their World Cup hero and dance all the way to the bank. I hope, for his sake, Tshabalala will be able to make the leap to European riches without falling prey to the accompanying temptations.
I'm genuinely sorry to see South Africa miss out on a place in the knock out stages. In a country where racial issues persist despite the dismantlement of apartheid, success on the football field would have helped heal a few more old wounds.
Soccer in general, and the World Cup in particular, has a way of unifying a nation. It appeals to young and old, black and white, captains of industry and unskilled labourers. South Africa cannot win the World Cup but its legacy, as hosts, can be so much greater than any trophy.
The world's superstars, fans and media will soon be gone. After the last flight departs, I hope a glow of pride and unity remains. The Rainbow Nation has shown it can welcome the world regardless of race or creed. Now can its inhabitants welcome each other?
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About the Author
Nigel Reed
Nigel Reed brings his extensive experience, passion and knowledge of the game of soccer to his role as play-by-play announcer for Major League Soccer ON CBC.
Reed has more than 20 years experience covering soccer, most notably a five-year stint from 1999 to 2004 where he was a host and producer for the English Premier League for BBC. He also covered English Premier League giants Liverpool and Everton for BBC Radio and provided analysis for both BBC TV and the BBC website.
Reed, who will also call matches for CBC's FIFA broadcast package, covered weightlifting, taekwondo, soccer and equestrian for CBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.
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