South African grass isn't green enough for television

Millions of Africans have been saying it for years: the grass is greener in Europe. Now the world's football bosses have decided that Africa's indigenous grass is not bright enough for international television audiences.

In a major blow to South African pride in hosting next year's World Cup, stadiums used for top matches have been told to scrap their hardy African kikuyu pitches and switch instead to tender European ryegrass.

The decision comes amid mounting claims that the month-long tournament next June will be a "playground for Europeans'', providing scant long-term benefit to the largely poor country.



"Fifa decided that our pre-grown kikuyu pitch was not uniformly dark green enough for television so we have started again with ryegrass seed,'' said Pieter Cronjé, World Cup communication director for Cape Town where one of the semi-finals is due to be played.

South Africans are watching with increasing bemusement as the World Cup rollercoaster moves in before the draw in Cape Town on 4 December to determine the 32-team match schedule. Fifa has begun firing off lawyers' letters to guard its £600m sponsors' rights. In host cities, special Fifa bylaws prevent "unauthorised'' advertising in "exclusion zones'' around stadiums. Among the recipients has been a Pretoria pub that painted "World Cup 2010'' on its roof, in breach of Fifa's trademark.

Sowetan columnist Andile Mngxitama said the decision to plant European grass was clear evidence that the World Cup offers "nil legacy'' for South Africa. "The World Cup is a jamboree which will make money for a few South Africans who are rich already. It serves purely to show the Europeans that the natives are still here to service their playground. Taking our grass away is the biggest insult to date.''