When Nelson Mandela was in the isolation block on Robben Island, one of his few distractions was being able to look from his cell window and watch his fellow prisoners play football. The prison authorities, however, had a wall built in order to obstruct his view.

By doing so, they confirmed the significance of the sport to those on the island. Its importance is made clear in More Than Just a Game, a documentary film that premiered on Friday in South Africa. The film’s launch also coincides with the draw on Sunday in Durban for the qualifying stages of football’s 2010 World Cup, which South Africa is hosting.