In last week's edition of Soccer Laduma, we published a story regarding the similarities between English and South African football in the sense that both have experienced a year of glory followed by decades of pain. Today, we hear a supporte's take on how similar Spanish and South African football is.
We received a piece of writing from one of our supporters, Mohlomi Maubane, with a review on the similarities between England and South Africa and how he thinks we should rather be comparing Spain with Mzansi.
"I really enjoy these reflective kind of articles. However, I think a study of Spain's phenomenal rise in comparison to Bafana's decline is more fitting," he wrote.
"Remember, in USA '94, Spain were underwhelming. The 3-2 loss to Nigeria in the first round proved to be the turning point for the European nation's football fortunes. For good measure, they decided to introspect and conceived a long-term plan.
"So when we lifted the AFCON trophy in '96, the Spanish masterplan was at its infancy. Football is really an instructive teacher of how life works.
"While the '96 triumph emboldened the SAFA bigwigs to think Bafana 'had arrived', leading to them sleeping on the guard, Spain was off the radar, patiently building.
"Check how ironically telling the outcome of these two divergent approaches to football proved to be 14 years later.
"Spain lifted their maiden World Cup at Soccer City, while Bafana also made their own bit of history by becoming the first host nation to get knocked out in the first round...
"Peace.
"Mohlomi"
What do you think of Mohlomi's writing and theory?
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