The South African football authorities probably had as much reason to curse the presence of Manchester United in their country last week as they were grateful that the English and European champions chose to embark on another preseason tour there.

When United are in town, not even the most minute details are missed, so while that brings with it positives, it also dictates that the wider issues are magnified, and at a time when serious questions are being asked about whether South Africa will be ready to host the 2010 World Cup finals, the last thing the country needed was to be thrust under the microscope.

As United hopped from Cape Town to Durban and on to Johannesburg, they did so against a backdrop of half-finished stadiums, strikes and appalling crime that must have Fifa, the sport’s world governing body, wondering why it awarded the tournament to South Africa.

Labour disputes have contributed to half of the ten stadiums facing a race against time to be ready before the Fifa-imposed deadline at the end of next year, while a glance at the statistics shows why security has been flagged up as the biggest concern.

There were 18,487 murders in South Africa last year, 18,795 attempted murders, 210,104 assaults, 118,312 robberies, 36,190 rapes and 237,853 burglaries. Even accounting for such alarming figures, however, the greatest obstacle to South Africa staging a successful World Cup may prove to be the country’s dire infrastructure, an issue highlighted as the crowds gathered for the final of the Vodacom Challenge between United and Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday.

Given that bus and train routes to many of the stadiums are so poor, the car remains the only viable and reliable form of transport, but neither the roads nor the police and attending stewards seemed capable of coping with the volume of traffic around the venue.

It would be no surprise to see streams of cars headed in four directions on the tiny roads around the stadium and whenever an officer or steward attempted to address the matter, the problems would be exacerbated as colleagues intervened and arguments ensued. The level of disorganisation was startling.

Drivers showed little regard for each other, too, although in a country where drink-driving is rife, given the dearth of public transport, that should come as little surprise. Last year 11,577 fatal crashes were caused by alcohol.

The problems on Saturday would have been multiplied had the stadium been a 45,000 sell-out. As it was, 30,000 fans managed to cause enough logistical headaches.

Nonetheless, if marks were awarded for enthusiasm, South Africa would be bracing itself for an unforgettable World Cup.

As Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, was quick to point out, there is no doubting the desire to make 2010 a tournament to remember and, as it draws ever nearer, the hope must be that the collective will of the authorities and locals to put on a show serves to paper over the cracks.

At present, though, there is no mistaking those cracks.