Mninawa Ntloko
25 November 2009
opinion
Johannesburg — THE genius that is former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright had us rolling in the aisles the other day when he gave in to the compelling urge to add his bit to the raging debate surrounding the Thierry Henry handball incident.
After keeping the world in suspense long enough, Wright decided that it was time to impart his pearls of wisdom and said his former Arsenal team- mate deliberately handled the ball before setting up the decisive France goal that ended the Republic of Ireland's dream of joining those who will be in the Soccer World Cup next year.
"He's fondled it," the resident genius said.
"If that was a woman, he could have got arrested."
Huh, come again? Well I'll be damned, Mr Wright! If this isn't a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black then I don't know what is.
Those of us who do not have short memories will remember that the selfsame Wright played a starring role in a similar controversy during an international match between Bafana Bafana and England at Old Trafford in May 1997.
With the two nations locked at 1-1 after goals from England's Rob Lee and Bafana Bafana striker Phil Masinga, Wright raised his hand (pun intended) and cheated, much like the man he's now hypocritically thumbing his nose at . Wright deliberately controlled the ball with his hand just outside the penalty area before he turned to score the goal that gave England their 2-1 victory.
The South Africans in the stadium and the Bafana Bafana camp were seething when they realised Swedish referee Anders Frisk had decided to let the goal stand. Wright's strike eventually won England the match, his "Hand of God" notwithstanding.
Then England coach Glenn Hoddle sheepishly admitted that Wright had, in the genius' own words, "fondled" the ball and the hosts were lucky that the goal was given.
"I think there was suspicion of handball but these things happen, you know," Hoddle said at the time.
Interestingly, the English media did not think that Wright had cheated and preferred to concentrate on a crunching tackle that Bafana Bafana strongman Innocent Buthelezi administered on then England poster boy Paul Gascoigne. Buthelezi came on for striker Masinga with only two minutes to go in the match but he was on the pitch long enough to execute one of his trademark tackles that resulted in Gascoigne leaving the game with a calf injury.
The player was even doubtful for a coming England World Cup qualifier that was to be played only weeks after that friendly and the English media was incensed.
Gascoigne was England's star player at the time and he failed to finish a match that the media unanimously said was his best in an England jersey in ages.
They screamed foul when they heard that Buthelezi's first name was Innocent and they were even more perplexed when they found out that he was known as the Mercedes of South African football.
But Wright's handball incident somehow escaped their attention, even though their coach actually admitted after the match that they'd won under controversial circumstances.
Rather crazy then when you consider the fact that the same mob have been calling for Henry's head since the handball incident and some of the tabloids over there have come dangerously close to hate speech. Hell, even serial killers and regular thugs have never been subjected to the kind of worldwide condemnation that Henry has been put through over the past few days.
You would think that the man was the first player to handle the ball inside the penalty area, given the amount of venom that has been directed at the poor bastard.
Granted, the stakes do not come higher than a place in the World Cup, but surely this has been rather extreme. As for Wright, the man has a nerve and is in no position to pass judgment on anyone.
And besides, Henry at least apologised after his "Hand of God". Wright considered such tedious trivia beneath him and never apologised for his own "Hand of God". Enough said.
Ntloko is sports editor.
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