World arrives in Africa

Pretty much from the day South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup in 2004, a question has dogged the country: Can a poor nation with an underdeveloped infrastructure and one of the world’s highest crime rates pull off the world’s biggest sporting event?

That question will hang over the next month, and organizers hope it won’t overshadow the main question, which involves determining the best soccer-playing nation in the world. The lead-up to the event has been largely uneventful, save for a fan stampede during a warm-up match at a stadium not being used for the World Cup. Concerns over security, plus the high cost of going to South Africa, are expected to keep the likely number of visiting fans – about 350,000 – down from what would be seen in Europe, but as of Wednesday, 97 percent of the event tickets have been sold.

With the tournament being held outside the sport’s halls of power in Europe and South America, none of the powerhouses has a definitive regional edge. Brazil, which seems to always win, and Spain, which almost never does at this level but which has an abundance of talent, are considered the favorites. But there are other candidates, too, largely from a list of usual suspects: a resurgent England team; an Argentinian squad that has the world’s best player and the world’s flakiest coach; and Germany and defending champ Italy, two teams that routinely qualify.

The World Cup is an event that seldom rewards true underdogs, South Korea in 2002 being a notable exception, but the presence of the event for the first time in Africa gives hope that one of that continent’s teams – most likely Ivory Coast – can make a run. Often there’s one second-tier European side that makes things interesting; this time around it could be Serbia.

This World Cup will be different. For the first time since 1978, when the tournament was held in Argentina, it’s being played in the Southern Hemisphere, which means the matches will be played in the cool of winter. For the first time since the 1986 tournament in Mexico, many of the matches will be played at high altitude. (Those looking for precedent will note that both of those events were won by Argentina.) And it will be played to the maddening tune of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn which, if you watched either last year’s Confederations Cup or any of this year’s warm-up matches played in South Africa, makes it sound as if the games are being played inside a hornet’s nest or with one’s head pressed against an electric razor. Either way, the vuvuzela is unlikely to add to the enjoyment.

FIFA brought the tournament to South Africa in an attempt to aid the sport’s development there, just as it did with the 1994 World Cup in the United States and the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. Starting with Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, African nations have had a more noticeable profile. South Africa was expected to host the 2006 World Cup, but a change in one vote by New Zealand’s delegate instead sent it to Germany. FIFA then declared the 2010 tournament would be played in Africa, and South Africa easily beat out Morocco and Egypt for the honor. South Africa has built five new stadiums for the occasion and completed a massive renovation of the event’s showplace facility, the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, and the stadiums were finished on time.

The downside is that the home team, South Africa, isn’t good. In the early days of the post-apartheid era, the South African team, known as Bafana Bafana (Zulu for “The Boys”), had some success, winning the 1996 African Cup of Nations. Lately, the team has struggled and everyone expects the South Africans to be the first host nation to go out in the first round.

South Africa kicks off the tournament at 7 a.m. PDT today against Mexico, in a match that figures to be indicative of how both teams will do.

Spain made its case by going undefeated at the 2008 European Championships – the country’s first major title since winning Euro 1964 – and by going undefeated in World Cup qualifying. Spain also has one of the most talent-rich squads in the world, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Fernando Torres, David Villa and Cesc Fabregas.

Spain, however, faces a tough road to the finals, potentially having to beat Italy, Germany or Argentina, and Brazil to take the title. Brazil is another team long on talent – minus the defining superstar of past Cups – and the confidence that comes from having won five World Cups, more than any other nation.

Argentina, with the world’s best player, Lionel Messi, probably would get more attention if not for its coach, soccer legend Diego Maradona. While Maradona was great as a player, possibly the greatest, he leaves something to be desired as a coach. The talented Argentinians barely qualified, and afterward, Maradona unleashed a profanity-laced attack on the media that warranted a two-month suspension from FIFA.

The road to South Africa began in August 2007 with a pair of qualifying matches played in Samoa. Now, there are 63 matches to go before the final on July 11 in Johannesburg. No matter who wins, South Africa’s time finally has come.