World Cup's Glow Can't Dim South Africa's Issues

Even before South Africa on Tuesday became the first host nation ever to be eliminated in the opening round of the World Cup, its citizens debated what awaits a volatile nation deprived of its soccer distraction.

Millions of South Africans have cheered on the national team, which is ranked 83rd in the world, ahead of only North Korea in the 32-team World Cup field. And millions will continue to root for teams that remain in the tournament the nation hosts. But despite Tuesday's 2-1 victory over 2006 runner-up France, South Africa, which got an automatic bid as host nation, failed to win by a big enough margin to move into the next round, crushing hopes of those who saw a deep run by the South African team as a national panacea.

"I'm so proud of the boys," said South Africa's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, following Tuesday's win.

The South African government has used the World Cup as a catalyst for development, and to address social ills of crime and race tensions. It has claimed success on all fronts.

The government estimates that more than 200,000 jobs were created for stadium construction and nearly 400,000 tourists are expected to visit during the World Cup. Heavy police presence on streets appears to have reduced rampant crime. And politicians pointed to how South Africans of all colors became soccer fans, a sign of how the nation has grown together since the 1994 elections ended white minority rule.

"For the first time ever in the 16 years of freedom and democracy, we see black and white South Africans celebrating together in the stadiums and fan parks," President Jacob Zuma said. "This unity and explosion of national pride will go down in our history as one of the most defining moments of the history of our young nation."

Yet in a country where 40% of the population lives below the poverty line—and 25% of working-age people are unemployed—social and economic discontent can't stay bottled up for long, say analysts.

"We have to go back to reality," said Prince Mashele, executive director for the Centre for Politics and Research, a think tank in Pretoria. "All the problems that bedevil this country will resurface."

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