The ECHO’s Chris Beesley continues his daily series of articles on Everton and the World Cup running throughout the tournament in Qatar.
Everton’s Steven Pienaar made history when he participated in the first-ever World Cup finals match on the African continent and it took place in his home city of Johannesburg. But such achievements would have seemed a long way off when he was growing up under apartheid.
By the time Pienaar was born on March 17, 1982, his homeland of South Africa was already a pariah among the international sporting community because of the system of institutionalised racial segregation that had existed in the country since 1948.
South Africa was formally expelled from the International Olympic Committee in 1970 and from FIFA in 1976, having already been suspended since 1965 having proposed entering an all-white team for the 1966 World Cup and all-black team for the 1970 finals. However, following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990, negotiations to end apartheid began and following Mandela’s formation of the Government of National Unity after his victory in the 1994 general election and subsequent assumption of the presidency, the nation began its rehabilitation.
While football had long been popular with all races in South Africa, rugby union in the words of Makhenkesi Stofile, the ANC Minister of Sport and Recreation who played the game himself, was “the opium of the Boer”, so when the country hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1995 the sight of President Mandela presenting the Webb Ellis trophy to the hosts’ victorious captain Francois Pienaar (no relation to the Everton man) became an iconic image of unity in a new era. After narrowly missing out on hosting the 2006 finals, FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced on May 15, 2004 that South Africa would host the 2010 World Cup after beating off competition from Morocco and Egypt to bring the tournament to Africa for the first time.
An emotional Mandela, who had previously spoken of the importance of football in his life while incarcerated in Robben Island prison, declaring that playing the game “made us feel alive and triumphant despite the situation we found ourselves in”, was shown lifting the World Cup trophy. When it came to the action on the pitch though six years later, there would be no fairy tale repeat of the Springboks’ success.
Ahead of the tournament, Pienaar was well aware of the cultural and historical significance of what lay ahead and said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling because when you hear the vuvuzela, it's like you’re hearing an elephant. You feel that you’re in Africa.
“It’s also the noise of people, the excitement of other people when they sing and dance. It’s touching. The game means a lot to them and for us playing for the country. It’s a special feeling.”
However, the Blues midfielder wasn’t getting carried away about his side’s chances which, in retrospect, seems to have been a prudent move. Asked if any of the African teams might win the trophy for the first time, he said: “I don't think it will happen in 2010, but it will be something special if an African nation can win it because it’s on the continent.
“I think if it was somewhere in West Africa, with the heat, then you could have said an African nation could win. But in South Africa it will be winter, so it will be more in the favour of the Europeans.”
Playing in the tournament’s opening game in front of 84,490 fans in Soccer City Stadium, things started well for Pienaar and company as Siphiwe Tshabalala fired them in front against Mexico on 55 minutes but with 11 minutes remaining, Rafael Marquez equalised ensuring they had to make do with a share of the spoils.
A 3-0 defeat to Uruguay in Pretoria then left the home side – nicknamed Bafana Bafana – on the brink and despite defeating France 2-1 in their final group match in Bloemfontein with goals from Bongani Khumalo (20) and Katlego Mphela (37) before Florent Malouda’s 70th-minute consolation, they were knocked out of the competition on goal difference behind Mexico to become the first host nation to be eliminated in the first round – a dubious distinction repeated by Qatar this week.
At club level, Pienaar would be signed for Everton by David Moyes on four separate occasions – on loan from Borussia Dortmund in 2007; permanently for £2million in 2008; on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in 2012 and then permanently for £4.5million that summer, netting 24 goals in 229 appearances.
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