Giggs proves that even in soccer matters you shouldn’t put all your trust in him
● From frocks to football as the legendary Manchester United star Ryan Giggs arrived on our shores this week to show off the Uefa Champions League trophy he’s held up twice.
This was a wet Tuesday evening and the venue was the Polo Room of the Inanda Club in Johannesburg where, as part of the threeday Heineken-sponsored trophy tour, a select group of fans got to watch a nail-biting match — Real Madrid vs Ajax — along with Giggsy.
The night was hosted by TV presenters Minnie Dlamini Jones and Lunga Shabalala; the latter got to kick the ball around with not only Giggsy but local soccer hero Steven Pienaar as well earlier in the day.
Someone else revelling in the atmosphere was rapper AKA, who it seems has turned over a new leaf. The outspoken artist says he is toning down his cussing-on-Twitter antics. “That’s not me any more,” said the Fela in Versace hitmaker.
Hmmm, maybe DJ Zinhle is having a calming effect on the musical bad boy …
Speaking of bad-boy antics, when the now Welsh football coach arrives there is no mention of his chequered off-field past.
Especially not that infamous eight-year affair he had with his younger brother’s wife, which last month was the topic of a British ad on “loyalty” starring Rhodri Giggs.
Instead, the Welsh wizard is asked how
That night’s match in Madrid would end in a 3-0 victory for the hosts, he claimed
it feels to hold that legendary trophy, to which he simply replies, “Special”.
His powers of prediction turn out to be anything but special — that night’s Champions League match in Madrid would end in a 3-0 victory for the hosts, he claimed. “Gareth Bale [will be] scoring [those] three goals.”
As it turned out, the Dutch visitors triumphed 4-1 to go through to the quarterfinals and fellow Welshman Bale did not score once.
The grub? A lot better than the snacks you usually tuck into when watching the game on the box: think mini lamb-and-mint pot pies, an assortment of sushi and bowls of deboned oxtail on mashed potatoes.