If you think South Africa’s serious about its politics, wait until you see it react to its national sports teams underperforming.
Case in point: the Proteas.
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The national cricket team is currently enjoying a less than stellar start to a World Cup.
MATCH RESULT
The Proteas fought hard but it wasn’t enough. They lost by six wickets in their third fixture of the #CWC19. #ProteaFire
#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/ka0Hw81NxT — Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) June 5, 2019
Today the Proteas lost to India by six wickets. It’s was the team’s third defeat in a row, and in terms of the points table, puts it ninth in the ten-team tournament.
The situation’s pretty dire, and opinions on Twitter aren’t what you’d call rosy.
Some want to bring the Proteas home immediately.
“Are the Proteas obligated to play the rest of their World Cup games? Asking for the morale of the nation,” tweeted one user.
If this ANC ‘new dawn’ cabinet is serious about good governance, they must use @MbalulaFikile experience as transport minister to get the Proteas home; his experience as sports minister to publicly shame them; & his experience as police minister to have them arrested
— Ryan Cummings (@Pol_Sec_Analyst) June 5, 2019
Could we perhaps ask the ICC to just send the Proteas back to South Africa and automatically give the victories to their opponents for the remaining six games? We also promise to write an apology to the cricketing world for the team we sent to the World Cup.
— Renaldo Gouws
(@RenaldoGouws) June 5, 2019
Are the Proteas obligated to play the rest of their World Cup games? Asking for the morale of the nation
— Dan Corder On Your Radio (@DanCorderOnAir) June 5, 2019
Some spewed some hilarious truths.
The proteas are representing Zimbabwe well so far
— The Scientific Meliorist (@nyashafidelis) June 5, 2019
Others used memes as a coping mechanism…
Proteas. pic.twitter.com/TPmDGjMflH
— Yaaseen Barnes (@Ya_a_seen_Him) June 2, 2019
The Proteas we sent to the #ICCWorldCup2019
pic.twitter.com/w6S68SRwEV — Makgorometja (@noble_illest) June 5, 2019
No one:
Absolutely no one:
Proteas – pic.twitter.com/DH0cwcqRxA
— brown (@mikebrownlee19) June 5, 2019
Proteas in Test Matches vs. Proteas in World Cup : pic.twitter.com/j0ieVpkCn1
— Khuthie Munyai (@khuthadzomunyai) June 5, 2019
And GIFs…
Proteas#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/p7Q4eScS4U
— Retsilisitsoe (@Retsilisitsoe18) June 5, 2019
Proteas
#SAvIND #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/iVLjtC9Six — Maps Maponyane (@MapsMaponyane) June 5, 2019
South Africa’s world cup. #proteas #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/cpzGHXGP1q
— Kal El
(@silentnoyse) June 5, 2019
Some however offered words of encouragement.
Former Protea Alviro Petersen believed that the Proteas should “use it or lose it” (although we’re pretty sure that’s rugby term).
Here’s my advice – use it or lose it! I am a founding member of #proteafire Its about being authentic! This laid-back approach is not Proteas style, leave it for the West Indies! Get back now boys!!
— Alviro Petersen (@AlviroPetersen) June 2, 2019
The matches aren’t about to get any either either. On Monday 10 June, the Proteas face the West Indies — the second-placed team on the log at present.
Hopefully by then, the team will let us post memes celebrating a victory.
Feature image: South African cricket team supporters in 2009, by fivelocker via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0, resized)
