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World Cup 2010
Mudhuts, wild lions and armed criminals: The South African World Cup
81047 days
The 2010 Fifa World Cup, hosted by South Africa, has successfully come and gone, leaving in its wake jubilant Spaniards, disappointed Dutch (and Germans, English, French and Italians) and more flags and scarves than we know what to do with.
So, be honest now, what were you really expecting of South Africa?
Were you disappointed that you didn’t spot any mud-huts in Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town? Did you bring your camera as you hoped to catch on film the lions and elephants strolling past your B&B accommodation? Or perhaps the stab vest you invested in was left gathering dust in your suitcase?
I say all this in jest, but the truth of the matter is that very few visitors to our shores knew what to expect when they descended on South Africa in the week leading up to the opening game on the 11th June 2010.
The naysayers predicted doom and disaster, crime and chaos, murder and mayhem. The stadiums wouldn’t be finished in time, power outages would happen in the middle of major games, buses would plunge off cliffs and cars would disappear into cavern-sized potholes – you name it, the press guaranteed that it was going to happen.
We even had that fine bastion of British journalism, The Daily Star, warning English players and fans of an earthquake in Cape Town, “An expert has predicted the country is almost certain to be hit by a major natural disaster. And it could strike during this summer’s footie tournament. Dr Chris Hartnady has singled out Durban and Cape Town as the areas most likely to be hit by a quake. And that is bad news for England’s stars, who are set to face Algeria in Cape Town on June 18.”
[the irony here is that I studied Structural Geology under Professor Hartnady at the University of Cape Town and he’s the least likely man to make such a bold statement, given his vast knowledge of South African geology. I wouldn’t put mis-quotations and creative editing past The Daily Star team.]
Franz Beckenbauer, Pele, Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness and even prominent local journalists all expressed concerns about South Africa’s capability to host a successful World Cup final.
Speaking to a Dutch football fan at one of the games, we discovered that Fifa had allocated 20,000 tickets to the Dutch Football Federation, but only 8,000 of these tickets were bought by fans. The remaining 12,000 weren’t sold, a matter that was put down to negative Dutch press publicity about South Africa. The Dutch that did take advantage of the tickets loved South Africa and nobody reported experiencing any of the problems that the press had predicted. Indeed, they were left wondering exactly where the Dutch press were getting their information from regarding South Africa.
I spoke online to a German fan who was not able to come to South Africa because of the exorbitant prices – exorbitant because the German media cajoled the public into believing that South Africa was a hot-bed of crime, violence and aggression and that the only safe place to stay was the “security oasis” of Sun City (not known for its cut-price accommodation or for its proximity to any of the German games).
We made friends with Americans, Australians, Dutch, Mexicans and British fans and all of them reported that they loved South Africa. Concerns about bringing camera and lens equipment to South Africa and to the stadiums faded and fans left here with potentially prize-winning footage of players, stadiums and fans; game parks and wildlife.
Not a single person we spoke to had experienced any crime or had reason to be afraid at any stage. All expressed how hospitable, friendly and helpful native South Africans had been. All that visited Cape Town were in awe of its beauty and natural wonders and those that were fortunate enough to visit our outstanding game parks reported phenomenal sightings of leopards, lions, elephants and other big game.
Yes, there were times when things didn’t go according to plan – the park and ride facilities at some stadiums was poorly organised; traffic flow to and from stadiums could have been under better control; there was the farcical situation of national aircraft carriers not being able to land at King Shaka International airport in Durban before the Spain – Germany semi-final due to parking of VIP private jets; there were wild-cat strikes by bus-drivers and security staff at stadiums; but nothing that would make a visitor return home to his country and tell friends and family not to ever visit South Africa.
And, as for the vuvuzela, it is here to stay. Having been exported en masse by departing fans and having been stocked on shelves in American Wal-Mart and British Sainsbury’s supermarkets, you can guarantee that you’ll be hearing the tuneless drone of the much-maligned plastic horn for years to come.
The celebrities have come and gone, the players have come and gone and the Spanish came, saw and conquered. There were no stadium power failures, no collapsing of stands, no murder or abduction of tourists – and no earthquakes or other natural disasters. Sepp Blatter gave us a score of 9/10 for the 2010 World Cup, commenting that this would be a “cum laude” score for a university doctorate.
South Africa 2010 ranks as the third most successful tournament ever, with a total stadium attendance of 3 094 366 (an average attendance of 49 670 people per game, or a 93% full rate). The only tournaments to have been more successful are USA ’94 (with 68 991 people per match totaling 3.58 million spectators) and Germany ’06 (52 491 people per match totaling 3.36 million spectators).
All that is left is for South Africans like us to keep promoting this beautiful country of ours to travellers like yourself – take the trip and experience the beauty of Cape Town, the spectacular Wild Coast (where you will see mud huts), the awe-inspiring game parks and the sheer warmth and hospitality of local South Africans.
We promise you a holiday to remember.
Did you visit South Africa for the 2010 World Cup? We’d love to see your comments below on how you enjoyed it!
A colourful World Cup for the Rainbow Nation
11052 days
South Africa is known as the “Rainbow Nation” and, when you see the diverse selection of colours and creeds within South Africa, you’ll know exactly why. We’re a country with 11 official languages and home to a flag with 6 colours. Indeed, when you see the South African flag lined up with all the other flags of the participating World Cup nations, you’ll see just how colourful our flag really is.
With over 500,000 visitors to our shores for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, our country has been awash with colourful fans from other nations – from the bright orange of the Dutch, to the yellow of Brazil and the red of Ghana, this has indeed been a celebration of colour. Let us toast the colourful fans who have graced our shores!
World Cup whizz kids: Young guns from South Africa 2010
01053 days
As often as World Cup finals can be a disappointment for the big name football players (think about Ronaldo, Rooney, Torres and Kaka in particular from this World Cup), they can also provide a platform for young, up and coming football stars to showcase their talent to appreciative audiences. Here are just 10 of the young players who have made a lasting name for themselves in Africa’s first World Cup tournament.
Andrew Ayew (Ghana)
His father is the great Abedi Pele and he is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Andrew plays for the French club Aries and he has an eye for timely assists and goals.
Andrew Ayew, Ghana
Keisuke Honda (Japan)
Honda was the first player in the tournament to tame the controversial Jabulani ball, showing how to keep it down with a brilliant free kick against Denmark in Japan’s 3-1 win. He scored Japan’s first goal of the tournament in Bloemfontein as they shocked African hopefuls Cameroon.
Keisuke Honda, Japan
Mesut Ozil (Germany)
Truly one of the finds of the tournament and the 21-year old Werder Bremen midfielder’s contribution to Germany’s march to the semi-finals has been a pleasure to watch.
Mesut Ozil, Germany
Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
Sanchez looks set to take over the top striker’s spot from Humberto Suazo if Chile make it to the next World Cup in Brazil, 2014. Sanchez played in all Chile’s matches and was instrumental in helping Chile make it to the knock-out phases of the tournament.
Alexis Sanchez, Chile
Gerard Pique (Spain)
As a 23-year old, Pique has excelled in partnering the established Spanish defender Carlos Puyol. Pique, who plays for Barcelona has shown his skill by constantly surging forward, putting opponents under pressure.
Gerard Pique, Spain
Vladimir Weiss (Slovakia)
With your father as the coach of the national team, you know you’re going to have to work extra hard to deserve a place in a starting line-up, and Weiss has done just that. The performance of the 20-yr old Weiss has tapped into the expertise of his father and grand-father to help Slovakia progress safely through the group phases in their first ever World Cup appearance.
Vladimir Weiss, Slovakia
Jonathan Mensah (Ghana)
Known to South Africans thanks to his tenure with Free State Stars, the 19-yr old Mensah made his first appearance as a back-up player against Australia and has not looked back since, and is considered to be in the running for the Best Defender at the World Cup.
Jonathan Mensah, Ghana
Giovanni dos Santos (Mexico)
Dos Santos has been around, moving from the Barcelona academy to the English Premiership before moving on to Turkey. This 20-yr old has shown great passing ability and strength on the ball and his play was key in helping Mexico progress to the second round.
Giovanni dos Santos, Mexico
Javier Hernandez (Mexico)
Already signed to Manchester United for the start of the new Premiership season, Hernandez proved his value by scoring two great goals against France and Argentina. Initially their third choice striker, Hernandez quickly rose to the fore as their main marksman.
Javier Hernandez, Mexico
Thomas Mueller (Germany)
This remarkable 20-yr old describes his working partnership with Ozil and Lucas Podolski as “smashing” and, with multiple goals in Germany’s crushing wins over England and Argentina, Mueller has scored 4 goals in only 7 international appearances for Germany and is the second highest scorer in the tournament so far.
Thomas Mueller, Germany
Original source: http://www.go2010.co.za/
Don’t forget your vuvuzela: Essential items for World Cup games
01071 days
If you have yet to attend your first live World Cup match in South Africa, at one of our 10 stadiums, here are a few handy items you’ll want to pack in your match-day backpack:
A vuvuzela
If you can’t beat them, join them. There’s no way you’re going to beat the vuvuzelas, so you may as well head down to one of SA’s local supermarkets and pick up your own for R30 ($4). If you pay more than this (particularly in Sandton City or the V & A Waterfront), you’ve officially been ripped off. Practise blowing your own horn before you get the stadium, it can be tricker than you realise. However, if you can’t bring yourself to buy a vuvuzela for the stadium, you want to remember…
Earplugs
If you’ve got particularly sensitive ears or you’re going to be in one of the fully enclosed stadiums (like Soccer City or Cape Town Stadium), you might find a set of ear-plugs handy. A stadium like the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg is mostly open (only one part of the stands covered), so the noise of the vuvuzelas escapes and you can hold a conversation with relative ease. In Soccer City however, the roof over the stands serves almost as a lid which keeps the noise in, allowing it to reverberate around the stands. Don’t bother even attempting a conversation.
Coca-cola bottle tops
All drinks sold inside the stadiums are sold in plastic bottles with their lids removed. Thus, if you’re buying multiple bottles to keep you going through the match, you’re going to have to be pretty careful not to spill the 3 bottles that you’re not yet drinking from. An easy solution is to take in 3 or 4 screw bottle tops from screw-top (500ml, 1L, 2L) Coca-cola bottles or from Bonaqua mineral water bottles (the brand of soft-drinks and water sold inside the stadiums). Budweiser, the official beer of the 2010 World Cup is sold in 475ml plastic bottles, also with screw lids removed.
VISA card and cash
With VISA being the official (proud) partner of the 2010 World Cup, only VISA credit cards or cash are accepted inside the stadium grounds, so leave your Mastercards, AMEX and Diner’s Club cards at home and make sure that if your credit card is not a VISA, that you have enough cash with you. With 500ml soft drinks and waters selling for R15/bottle; Budweiser at R30/bottle; Boerewors rolls at R30 each; hotdogs at R25 each and supporter flags, shirts and paraphernalia selling for a few hundreds of rands, you’ll need a fair whack of cash to see you through the game.
Camera and video camera
Attending a live game will be a sight and sound extravaganza you won’t want to forget. Take in your camera and your video camera if you have one, and record as much as you can. SLR cameras are fine to take into the stadiums, and you can probably get away with a telephoto lens of up to about 300mm. Tripods and monopods might not be allowed past security, so it’s probably best not to even try.
Warm clothes (and, in CPT and PE, a raincoat)
If you’ve been watching any of the games on TV, you will have noticed that in the evening games, the fans are bundled up in layers, and layers, and layers of warm clothes. When the substitute players are sitting on the bench with a blanket over their legs, you know it’s winter in South Africa. That means sub-zero temperatures in the evenings and early mornings and, if you’re in Cape Town or Port Elizabeth, rain and wind. You won’t be too warm at the 4pm games with a warm jacket and at the 8-30pm games, pack your woolly hat, gloves, scarf and heavy jacket.
Pack the above into a small backpack (space under stadium seats is limited or non-existent), organise your transport to and from the game ahead of time and, above all, embrace the African World Cup experience!
Johannesburg shows its World Cup colours
21083 days
We’ve got the spirit! With exactly three days to go until the opening ceremony and opening match of the Fifa 2010 World Cup, Johannesburg is ablaze with the colours of the 32 competing nations.
From Brazil to Holland, Portugal to Paraguay, Ghana to Germany, you’ll find support for all the countries on the cars, streets, houses and offices across South Africa.
South Africa is a colourful country, but never before have we seen such rampant displays of patriotism as more and more residents display our 6-colour flag. The main highway out of O.R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg) is a wall of South Africa flags, leaving visitors with no doubt that they have landed in South Africa, home of the biggest sporting event on earth.
If you’re not fortunate enough to be joining us for the World Cup, here are a few pictures to show you the spirit of the tournament – can you find your country’s colours?
Wing mirror covers are all the rage
Did you know that footballs grow on trees?
Are the Italian fans the most passionate fans of all?
If you paint your garage door, the answer is "Yes"
That's a definite "Yes" for passionate Italian support!
But the Italian owner does spread the World Cup love around other countries
North America, South America and South Africa
Even local businesses are showing their support
Our local bicycle shop flies the flags high
The most colourful highway we've seen
Large flags, small flags, we've got it all!
32 nations, 6 continents. One winner.
South Africa. Proud host of the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
World Cup weather: packing for South Africa
11109 days
South Africa: the land of endless sunshine, warm weather and dry, blue sky days.
This is what many World Cup visitors to South Africa will be expecting when they descend on our shores before the kick-off on 11th June. What many visitors might not take into consideration is the fact that it’s actually going to be the middle of our winter here (we are in the Southern Hemisphere after all).
So it’s going to be a little chilly. And, if you’re going to Cape Town, it’s going to be a little wet.
For our tourists hoping to make the best of the 2010 World Cup, here’s a brief weather and packing guide to make your holiday that much more enjoyable. Games are schedule for kick-off at 13:30, 16:00 and 20:30 – so you’ll need different layers of clothing for different times of the day.
Johannesburg (Soccer City & Ellis Park Stadiums)
Two major stadiums are situated in Johannesburg and between them will host key matches including the opening ceremony and the final. Johannesburg is often a beautiful city in winter, commonly with clear blue skies during the day and bright warm sunshine. In the middle of a good day, as you experience temperatures of up to 20°C for the 13:30 games, you might even need to slap on a little sunscreen and wear your supporters cap.
In the early mornings and evenings though, it’s a different story altogether. Temperatures can often drop to zero or just below zero at night and if an icy wind is blowing during the day (even if the sky is blue and the sun is shining) a day-time maximum of 10°C is possible. As soon as the sun drops low in the sky, the temperature plummets so take an extra layer of warmth to the stadiums with you for the 16:00 games. Prepare for early morning temperatures of 0 – 5°C.
For the 20:30 games, you’ll need a good few layers – a thick warm jacket, woolly hat and gloves will help you ward off the inevitable winter night chill. Johannesburg is mostly dry during winter, but there is the chance of the occasional winter shower so it’s wise to pack a light-weight rain coat.
Essentials: Heavy jacket, gloves, warm socks, scarf, thermal underwear, sunscreen
Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld)
Pretoria’s weather is very similar to Johannesburg’s, with the only difference being a 1 – 2°C higher temperature during the day and the mornings. So, dress as per the guidance for Johannesburg – sunscreen during the day with a jacket and cold weather gear for the evenings.
Essentials: Heavy jacket, gloves, warm socks, scarf, sunscreen
Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium)
Host of many first round games (including England vs USA) and a round of 16 game, Rustenburg is normally relatively warm on a winters day, with temperatures a few degrees higher than you would expect in Johannesburg. The 13:30 games in Rustenburg will be relatively pleasant from a temperature perspective, but come 16:00 when the sun starts dropping, the same weathers rules as Johannesburg will apply.
20:30 games will be very cold, so pack the warm jackets, woolly hats and gloves to keep you warm during the games.
Essentials: Heavy jacket, gloves, warm socks, scarf, thermal underwear, sunscreen
Polokwane and Nelspruit (Peter Mokaba and Mbombela Stadiums)
These two cities host a number of group games and will have some of the most moderate temperatures for the 13:30 games – approximately 20 – 23°C during the day. Dry conditions prevail here and you can expect early morning temperatures of 4 – 6°C. Consider taking a warm sweat-shirt and light jacket for the 16:00 and 20:30 kick-off games.
Essentials: Light jacket, sweatshirt, sunscreen
Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium)
Bloemfontein hosts a number of first round games and one round of 16 game and, whilst middle of the day temperatures can be relatively warm (17°C) and conditions dry (very dry), the temperature plummets drastically overnight. Early morning temperatures of approximately -2°C are relatively common and for the 20:30 games, you’ll definitely need a very warm jacket and your ski gloves. No raincoat required!
Essentials: Heavy jacket, gloves, warm socks, scarf, thermal underwear, sunscreen
Durban (Moses Mabhida Stadium)
This iconic new stadium in Durban is host to some first round games, a round of 16 game and a semi-final and will, thankfully, provide some of the most moderate weather for the fans. Winter weather in Durban is wonderful and, despite temperatures not soaring higher than 23°C in June/July, the real joy comes in the moderate evening and early morning temperatures of approximately 11°C. Expect sunshine during the day, but you’ll need a sweat-shirt or jacket in the evenings.
Essentials: Light jacket, sweatshirt, sunscreen
Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Stadium)
This is where the fun begins, for Port Elizabeth is known as the “Windy City”. Combine this with the typically wet weather conditions that can be expected in Port Elizabeth in winter and brace yourself, fans. Temperatures will not drop exceptionally low in Port Elizabeth in the evenings and early mornings (when compared to Bloemfontein and Johannesburg), but the rain and wind may make the average minimum temperature of 10°C seem colder.
Day-time temperatures can reach up to 20°C so for the group games that start at 13:30 you’ll need a light jacket but almost certainly a raincoat. For the 16:00 and 20:30 games consider adding a heavier jacket to you bag, in addition to your raincoat.
Essentials: Raincoat, warm jacket, warm socks, gloves
Cape Town (Green Point Stadium)
Cape Town is known for its beautiful scenery – the mountain, the beaches, the forests. The problem is, in winter you can’t see any of it thanks to the persistent, driving rain. So, for World Cup fans attending football games in Cape Town, a rain coat is a must. In fact, maybe you should pack your wellington boots too.
Winter in Cape Town is very similar to winter in England – wet and miserable. Temperatures are moderate, so to speak, but often the daily maximum temperature is only 2 – 3°C higher than the minimum, so you can spend the entire day feeling cold and damp. Expect minimum temperatures of approximately 5 – 7°C and maximum temperatures of 15°C. Oh, and some rain.
Essentials: Raincoat, warm jacket, warm socks, gloves
See you at a game!
