In the motion picture Invictus, Nelson Mandela (being played by Morgan Freeman), makes a comment on how the black fans in attendance at rugby matches seem to be cheering for whomever the Springboks (the South African national team) were playing against. Fifteen years later it might appear if discrimination is continuing with the treatment of defender Mathew Booth.
Some Spanish media outlets had reported poor treatment of Booth when they were in town covering the Confederation Cup in 2009. However, had they listened a little closer to the sound that the crowd makes when Booth made a play it was not actually a ‘boo’ at all, but the player’s name: Booooooooooooth!
Booth’s popularity has definitely seen a dramatic rise in the months leading up to the World Cup. The only white player on the squad, Booth has ended up becoming the defacto face of the team. Sports Illustrated published a piece on Booth naming him ‘the New Face of the Nation.’ He was also the local player chosen to be on stage (along with Charlize Theron and David Beckham) when the teams for the World Cup were announced in December.
The 6’5 ½ “ player from Fish Hoek, South Africa, has not played a ton of matches with the national side, but has played a significant number of caps (24) spread out over last year’s Confederation Cup, the 2000 Olympics, the Cosafa Castle Cup as well as a pair of World Cup qualifiers in 2002. His first and only goal in international play came against Malawi in a 2001 World Cup qualifier.
At 33 years of age, Booth will be one of the older players on the South African World Cup team. He even seemed a little surprised that he was named to the squad in the first place:
“This has come a little bit late in my career. But if I can play a part in a World Cup on home soil, I will die happy.” (FIFA)
Growing up, Booth was not initially drawn to playing the popular sport of soccer. Instead his interest was more with rugby, cricket, and tennis. However, in a nation that loves the game it was hard to stay away. Eventually, Booth would catch the eye of a local club, the Cape Town Spurs. He would become part of the team’s junior side upon joining in 1994, but would find himself moved up to the senior level side just a year later. Over the span of four years Booth would nearly appear in 100 games for the Spurs (92).
His time with the Spurs would not be without controversy however. With a number of administrative changes involving the team, Booth became a little disenchanted with the club. When it was sold in 1999 and he was ordered to join the team in its new home he refused. Booth believed that players were not meant to be bought and sold like pieces of meat. He would eventually get a Human Rights lawyer involved before finally being allowed to seek out another team to play for.
Eventually he would end up landing a roster spot on the Mamelodi Sundowns, one of the best clubs in the country at that time. Over the course of the next four years he would end up appearing in 114 matches for the club. He was loaned to a team in Wimbeldon, but never actually ended up playing for them.
Following his fourth year with the Sundowns Booth would end up testing the waters outside of South Africa for the first time. From 2002-2004 he would join the FC Rostov, a Russian team that was looking to heavily invest in foreign players at that time. He would find his way to the Krylia Sovetov in 2004; the team would end up finishing third in the Russian Premier League.
After 7 years in Russia, Booth decided that it was time to go back home and returned to the Mamelodi Sundowns, his current club.
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