The country they never left

By Alex ČizmićJune 11, 2026

Bosnia’s World Cup squad is built on the descendants of war and displacement, players raised across Europe and North America who are finding their way back through football.

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South African journalists have a choice to make

Across South African radio and television, anti-immigration framing has become the norm.

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For decades, Bafana Bafana embodied the disappointments of the democratic era. As the team recovers, South Africans are once again projecting their political aspirations and fears onto the national side.

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A World Cup without the world?

The exclusion of Somali referee Omar Artan hardens the contradiction at the heart of the 2026 World Cup: a global tournament increasingly shaped by the politics of exclusion.

Maher MezahiJun 9, 2026

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The left does not need priests of purity

If the South African left cannot engage the messy, contradictory spaces where working class politics are actually happening, then it cannot lead.

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The country they never left

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South African journalists have a choice to make

The footballing gods

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The left does not need priests of purity