Saturday 3 July 2010
I awoke this morning with a sense of anticipation. I was going to attend the Germany Argentina match at the Cape Town stadium. The media had firmly backed the Argentineans to win this encounter against the young German team. The artistry shown by the Argentina team thus far in the tournament had earned them the support and admiration that they that they enjoyed.
The Cape Town stadium was favourably received by the international and local media and fans alike. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and the Table Mountain range on the other, it enjoyed a presence denied to the other stadiums. The people of Cape Town had also embraced the World Cup completely. The hospitality of the people in these parts is well known. The stadium has the city centre and its Waterfront lying in close proximity. For the tourist, there are beautiful drives around the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point and to the Cape Winelands. A cable car ride up the Table Mountain and a visit to Robben Island are attractions that draw many tourists to this part of beautiful South Africa. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated at the Robben Island maximum security prison for most of the twenty seven years that he spent in jail.
Access to the stadium was made available through the local train services from the Cape Flats line or from the Southern Suburbs line or through park and ride facilities or through a walk on the Cape Town fan walk. The latter had already become renowned as an associated event in its own right to games played at the Cape Town stadium. I had decided that I was going to park my car at my place of work in the city and to then walk Cape Town’s famous fan walk to the stadium.
I arrived at the beginning of the fan walk in the city centre a full two hours before the scheduled commencement of the game. The leisurely walk to the stadium was made so by the throngs of people who turned out to do the walk. The pace was thus very slow. One has no idea of conceptualising the size of sixty thousand people unless one attends an event like this. Entertainment on the fan walk made it more enjoyable. The weather was also very favourable for the Cape-s notorious winter clime. The Cape Town city had erected numerous colourful wooden huts along the fan walk where traders sold team apparel and food items.
I had to hurry along the last part of the walk as I realised that entry into the stadium would be delayed if I continued on my leisurely pace. I took my seat as the teams walked out onto the pitch for the formalities and the singing of the national anthems prior to the actual match. I was surrounded by German fans. Sitting ahead of us were huge numbers of Argentinean fans. They were completely oblivious to the needs of the fans behind them, standing en bloc for most of the match whilst they sang in chorus in support of their team. I had not bargained for this selfishness on the part of the Argentinean fans when I had paid out a considerable sum for my category 1 match ticket.
The German fan behind me had painted his torso with the colours of the German flag. He was the loudest fan that I had encountered during the matches that I had attended. He needled the Argentineans throughout the match and was rewarded with a couple of vuvuzelas that were thrown at him I presume by irate fans of the team that was losing badly on the pitch. The Argentinean soccer team had met their nemesis and had no answer for the 4 goals that the Germans put past them. Maradonna was distinguishable by his uncharacteristic placid behaviour after the first goal was scored within the first ten minutes.
In the last quarter final match, Spain beat Paraguay 1 nil. Now the semi finals beckon.
The Cape Town stadium was favourably received by the international and local media and fans alike. Situated between the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and the Table Mountain range on the other, it enjoyed a presence denied to the other stadiums. The people of Cape Town had also embraced the World Cup completely. The hospitality of the people in these parts is well known. The stadium has the city centre and its Waterfront lying in close proximity. For the tourist, there are beautiful drives around the Cape Peninsula to Cape Point and to the Cape Winelands. A cable car ride up the Table Mountain and a visit to Robben Island are attractions that draw many tourists to this part of beautiful South Africa. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated at the Robben Island maximum security prison for most of the twenty seven years that he spent in jail.
Access to the stadium was made available through the local train services from the Cape Flats line or from the Southern Suburbs line or through park and ride facilities or through a walk on the Cape Town fan walk. The latter had already become renowned as an associated event in its own right to games played at the Cape Town stadium. I had decided that I was going to park my car at my place of work in the city and to then walk Cape Town’s famous fan walk to the stadium.
I arrived at the beginning of the fan walk in the city centre a full two hours before the scheduled commencement of the game. The leisurely walk to the stadium was made so by the throngs of people who turned out to do the walk. The pace was thus very slow. One has no idea of conceptualising the size of sixty thousand people unless one attends an event like this. Entertainment on the fan walk made it more enjoyable. The weather was also very favourable for the Cape-s notorious winter clime. The Cape Town city had erected numerous colourful wooden huts along the fan walk where traders sold team apparel and food items.
I had to hurry along the last part of the walk as I realised that entry into the stadium would be delayed if I continued on my leisurely pace. I took my seat as the teams walked out onto the pitch for the formalities and the singing of the national anthems prior to the actual match. I was surrounded by German fans. Sitting ahead of us were huge numbers of Argentinean fans. They were completely oblivious to the needs of the fans behind them, standing en bloc for most of the match whilst they sang in chorus in support of their team. I had not bargained for this selfishness on the part of the Argentinean fans when I had paid out a considerable sum for my category 1 match ticket.
The German fan behind me had painted his torso with the colours of the German flag. He was the loudest fan that I had encountered during the matches that I had attended. He needled the Argentineans throughout the match and was rewarded with a couple of vuvuzelas that were thrown at him I presume by irate fans of the team that was losing badly on the pitch. The Argentinean soccer team had met their nemesis and had no answer for the 4 goals that the Germans put past them. Maradonna was distinguishable by his uncharacteristic placid behaviour after the first goal was scored within the first ten minutes.
In the last quarter final match, Spain beat Paraguay 1 nil. Now the semi finals beckon.
Comments