The beautiful game turns ugly

“Salgado! Salgado! Salgado!” – Nigeria’s notoriously one-eyed fans salute Gabriela Salgado

Telford Vice / Casablanca

THE beautiful game? Not at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca on Tuesday, when South Africa’s dream of defending their 2022 women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph was dashed. Indeed, Banyana Banyan’s 2-1 semifinal loss to Nigeria often veered towards the opposite: ugly.

“It’s sad, but I guess that’s God’s will,” a crushed Hildah Magaia, the striker who scored both goal...