Mzansi Magic | Sport: General

Joe Latakgomo

Mzansi Magic intercepts the ball at the first soccer game played between British soldiers stationed in South Africa in the late 1800s. Then it is dribbled through the decades all the way to the World Cup in 2010.

The author, a veteran sports journalist, combines historical fact with personal experiences and striking anecdotes to bring the story and characters of South African soccer to life. His account also bears testimony to how the struggle against apartheid played out on the soccer field and in black soccer’s fight for recognition by FIFA. It also elaborates on our unique styles of street soccer like diski and even includes a chapter on the use of muthi in the game.

The book is aimed at local fans and tourists wanting to acquaint themselves with the soccer culture at the southern tip of Africa.