WORLD CUP DIARY

THE 2010 SOCCER WORLD CUP
South Africa


This is the eve of the 2010 soccer World Cup. The official opening occurs on Friday 11th June 2010 at Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa. In the first game, host nation South Africa play Mexico.

The euphoria surrounding the hosting of this tournament has reached delirious proportions amongst the South African populace. The participating teams have arrived. Their preparations have been completed. Let the tournament begin.

South Africa, geographically sited on the southern tip of the African continent, has been blessed. In the past twenty years, the people of South Africa have enjoyed a roller coaster ride of experiences. There was the unbanning of the liberation movements, the dismantling of apartheid and the apartheid state, the release of political prisoners and the creation of the liberated South African state. Mr. Nelson Mandela was released and he entrenched his stature as a world leader and icon. South Africans of all colours voted for the first time in April 2004. We developed a unique constitution that has become the yardstick for fledgling nations seeking legislative and administrative guidance through a constitutional document that entrenches basic human rights.South Africans had in the aftermath of liberation from the tyranny of apartheid become the rainbow nation.


South Africa has savoured the sweet taste of success in sports. Our marathon runner in the 2003 Atlanta Olympic Games achieved eminence for himself and for the country as he entered the Olympic stadium and received his prize at the commencement of the closing ceremony. Our rugby team became world champions at the rugby world cup hosted by South Africa in 2005. Our soccer team won the African Cup of Nations in 2006 on home soil. Sport has had a way of uniting the people of South Africa. International success in the main sporting codes unites the people in massive shows of unity and pride for the country.

We now stand on the edifice of yet another sporting event that promises to patch up the cracks that simmer amongst the racial groups that make up the South African population. There are no prospects of our soccer team progressing far in this tournament. We rejoined the world body of soccer after the attainment of independence. We have participated in two soccer world cups hitherto. For us, victory in the first game against Mexico, victory in any of the first round games and the progress of our soccer team to the second round would be the pinnacle of our expectations. Anything else would be received with the utmost gratitude and humility by us, the people of South Africa.

Since 2004, when another euphoria generating event, the award of the host country for the 2010 soccer world cup, massive infrastructural developments have been undertaken in South Africa. The roads have been improved, the airports have been refurbished and a new one was built in the Kwa Zulu Natal Province, new stadiums have been built and old ones renovated. South Africa has been a construction in progress since we won the right to host this world cup. We are ready to run this tournament. The participating teams are assured of a competitive and well supported tournament. Despite a crippling world recession since we were awarded the rights to host the tournament and despite a major stay away by the people of the world, we anticipate delivery of a successful tournament.

So then who is going to win this world cup? Which international soccer player shall secure the golden boot award of the tournament? Are there going to be upsets on the playing fields? Are we going to experience any of the hooliganism that has accompanied previous world cups? This and many other imponderables shall be unraveled in the next thirty two days.


This tournament promises to be different from that of the previous world cups. This is the first time that the soccer world cup is being staged on the African continent. I get the sense that we as a country and a nation are appreciative of our responsibility to ourselves and to the African continent as a whole to deliver a successful tournament. Similarly, we are aware of an international sense of cynicism at our ability to stage this world cup. We hope that we can confound our critics and earn the admiration of international society. I sincerely anticipate that we shall at the end of this world cup be showered with the accolade of having hosted the best world cup ever.


To the soccer lovers of the world, we welcome you.



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