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	CURRENT EDITION~ SPORT DIGEST~ YOUR GAME APPETIZER

Caption: Chief Editor

The foreign press are killing South Africa I recently had the fortune of flying to Madrid for the Castrol Rankings launch and to interview Cristiano Ronaldo. The set-up worked like this: the launch started with an open press conference, followed by allotted time slots for Tier 1 media, of which KICK OFF is one. Now the launch came two days after Real Madrid’s fairly embarrassing 4-0 Copa del Rey defeat against tiny Alcorcon – the equivalent of Proff Khumalo’s Young Stars beating SuperSport United. The result: a complete Spanish ambush, where they completely dominated the conference and asked Ronaldo the same questions five times over – ‘Should Pellegrini be sacked’. Ronaldo eventually lost his cool and refused to entertain any such questions. That was my first bad experience with the European press. Worse was to follow On the trip back, I was on the bus along with several foreign journalists for as far and wide as Vietnam, Portugal, Mexico and Malaysia. Being South African, everyone wanted my opinion on the World Cup and whether we’ll be ready. My standard responses varied from “The stadium will be ready and brilliant”; “My biggest concern is public transport, but I’m pretty confident it will be sorted out”; and “You guys better be ready for a party, cause it’s gonna be a big one”. Then the issue of security came up. A journalist from A Bola in Portugal asked whether that is sorted, and I referred how it’s been exaggerated and referred to the story about the Germans needing to wear bullet-proof vests. His response shocked me: “That’s why I’m asking this is the kind of stories we read every day.” Cue me flipping my lid and having a fat go at the European press, and particularly the English press, for painting this bleak, and completely distorted view of South Africa. I told them because it’s Africa they assume everything is disorganised and violent. I then asked whether he could stroll around any part of Lisbon at night and not worry. “Of course not,” he said. “It’s the same in South Africa,” I responded. You have places you go and places you don’t.” I think I managed to eventually calm their fears that they would need to travel to SA in body armour, but my point is this: I managed to give about 10 people the real story, but what about the millions who can only rely on what they read in the papers? I really hope – and believe – these people are wise enough to think for themselves and make the trip to SA with an open mind and completely ignore those Afro-pessimists and their blinkered, 18th century reporting. Send your suggestions to namory@footballdigest.net