Sophie Feyder, PhD candidate, Leiden University Institute for History
In January 2010, I set out to Johannesburg with the intention of investigating the subtle power dynamics behind the World Cup. I was eager to witness the preparations for what was identified as “the most important event since 1994”. I arrived in a city partially paralysed by massive road works on almost every highway. Stuck in traffic jams, you could contemplate at leisure the Fifa billboards urging you to “Make sure you can say ‘I was there’”. 100 days before the launch of the World Cup, the government was boasting the near completion of all the stadiums, anxious to impress the international community and export a positive image of the country. Meanwhile, riots were bursting in various townships to demand better service delivery from the local municipalities.
