South Africa's Steven Pienaar is challenged for the ball by France's Florent Malouda during the two nations’ 2010 World Cup Group A match at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. South Africa won the game 2-1.
The FIFA World Cup always brings up mixed emotions for me. Much of my interest in the tournament was built around one team that has always been rated among the best in the world.
Ever since France won in 1998, my anticipation for the global spectacle has depended on how they fared in the previous tournament. And there are certain tournaments since that famous trophy lift that many French supporters would rather forget than remember.
My love for football was fuelled by the likes of Laurent Blanc, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Fabien Barthez, to name a few. That 1998 team put three goals past a stacked Brazil side in the final, with neither Ronaldo nor Rivaldo able to make an impact, while the legendary midfielder and captain Dunga could do little to prevent the French onslaught.
But as brilliant as that team was, 2002 brought something entirely different. As champions, France had the players to back up their title defence at the tournament hosted by Japan and South Korea. However, that campaign was a complete flop.
