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South Africa will not win from this World Cup

International sporting jamborees are never just about the games themselves. They are a chance for nations – and even continents – to host the world, attract tourism and investment, and generate national pride. The flip side is that they are also a chance for the hosts to bankrupt themselves, pursuing dreams of sporting grandeur which cost billions but bring little public benefit – a risk that South Africa, with its impoverished population, can ill afford. In the long run, when the flags, trumpets and face-paint are packed away, will Africa have lost out by hosting this World Cup?

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