One of the things you pick up rather quickly here in South Africa is that things aren’t always what they seem. Or, rather, that our untrained eyes (and ears), coupled with our own prejudices, can lead us to the entirely wrong conclusion.

Take Matthew Booth, the South Africa central defender. With his 6ft 6in frame and billiard-ball smooth pate, Booth would probably turn heads even if he wasn’t the only white player in South Africa’s starting XI. But, of course, he is, which is why, when some members of the foreign press heard a low, distinctive “buuuhhh” sound rising from the home supporters every time he touched the ball — ever since South Africa’s opening game against Iraq on June 14 — the story suddenly got nice and tasty.

The South Africa fans, who are overwhelmingly black, were booing their only white player with gusto and zeal. And they were doing it from the very first minute of the game, so it wasn’t down to his performance. Clearly, the “abuse” had to stem from the fact that Booth is white (and, perhaps, that he looks like an extra from Romper Stomper, the 1992 movie about skinheads). Reverse racism. Black fans picking on the white guy. What a remarkable tale! Cue pseudo-sociological musings about the “new” South Africa.

Except Booth — contrary to what several newspapers reported — was not being abused.

Those weren’t boos, quite the contrary. South African fans pay homage to Booth by bellowing “Boooth!” every time he’s involved in the action.

“So many journalists were asking me about it, I began to wonder if I was, in fact, being booed,” Booth joked. “But no, it’s just the fact that they are calling my name.”

The irony in all this is that Booth is actually something of a poster-child for the new South Africa. His wife, Sonia Bonneventia, a former runner-up in Miss South Africa, is black. And, in footballing terms, he has been one of his country’s more successful — not to mention exotic — exports: he spent seven seasons playing in Russia for Krylia Sovetov Samara, before returning home to Mamelodi Sundowns last January.

And so, by beating South Africa 2-0 on Saturday night, Spain have set a world record for consecutive victories by a national team, 15, which eclipses the mark jointly held by France, Brazil and Australia. In that match, Spain also extended their undefeated run to 35, equalling the record set by Brazil between December 1993 and January 1996. They’ll have a chance to set a new mark in their semi-final on Wednesday.

The last side to beat Spain were Sweden, on October 7, 2006. Since then they have faced the likes of Argentina, England (twice), France, Italy (twice) and Germany without defeat. While one is loath to get carried away, it’s a remarkable streak.

For now, it may be safe to say that this, along with Hungary in the early 1950s and Holland in the early 1970s, is one of the greatest sides not to have won the World Cup. They’ll get their chance in a little more than a year’s time.