Waka waka!
Ayoba*!!
In June we returned to Cape Town for a month of soccer fever, Budweiser, vuvuzelas, makarapas and excited visitors from all over the world.
About vuvuzelas and makarapas
For our non-SA friends, watch any major soccer match in South Africa, and two pieces of unique paraphernalia usually stand out: the vuvuzela, or plastic trumpet, and the makarapa, a decorated miners’ helmet, customised for each soccer team involved.
The boisterous sound of the vuvuzela takes some time to get used to. Or not. If vuvuzelas are blown in a crowd, it sounds more or less like a gigantic beehive, which is manageable to the ear. However, if some uneducated individual insists on blowing it right behind you, facing it anywhere else but upward, earplugs come in very handy – to place in your ears that is, not to shove up the person’s nostrils as your first instinct might tell you to.
Experiences
South Africa was captivated by the event and productivity must have been at an all time low. It seemed that even the criminals, who often dominate the news headlines, took off some time to enjoy the football! Almost all the cars on the streets sported flags – one for South Africa, and more for the other team(s) the driver supported. Even hardcore rugby fans were spotted having the time of their lives at the stadiums. And the whole country celebrated our first goal against Mexico, mourned the loss to Uruguay and is still confused whether to cheer our victory over France, or mourn our early exit from the tournament.
It was a unique experience to sit in the brand new soccer stadium in Green Point, Cape Town and enjoy each soccer game with a crowd of between 62 000 and 65 000 people. Even matches that delivered no goals where exciting due to the colourful fans, incidences and people from all over the world who provided more than enough entertainment.
We were treated to the teams of France, Uruguay, Italy, Paraguay, England, Algeria, Portugal, Korea, Holland and Cameroon in the pool games, and watched Ronaldo vs David Villa in the knock-out match between Portugal and Spain.
Watching international soccer stars with excitement whilst at the same time wanting to strangle the bloke who just blew his vuvuzela into your ear was not uncommon. Drinking Budweiser from a plastic bottle (and later plastic cups, which felt a little less weird) and having your plastic coke / water bottle’s cap confiscated (as well as lists of other potentially dangerous things) before entering the stadium was also a first, but necessary, we suppose, to protect the players and probably some of those referees who stunned the crowds with a few controversial decisions.
The most stunning experience was watching soccer fans making every effort to show their love for their team with bright and weird attire, songs from the heart and dances and jumps as their teams scored a goal. And if those teams didn’t perform, some fans turned to Budweiser for comfort. This usually led to even more spectacular performances, which occasionally involved security staff too.
To show how small the world really has become, Theo managed to get into a Hindi conversation with one of the staff members at the stadium’s Fifa fan shop.
TV and radio presenters from every part of the world were also among the crowds. One evening, after Portugal’s defeat against Spain, a Portugese TV presenter stopped Theo for a short interview. Guess which team’s makarapa Theo had on his head!
We did not experience matches in the other cities of South Africa, but in Cape Town a well organised transport system brought the spectators to and from the stadium. And for those who preferred not to use the shuttle between the stadium and Cape Town’s railway station, there was the 20-minute Fan Walk – a lane packed with food and souvenir stalls, entertainers of all sorts, hotels and restaurants to provide enough entertainment for those 20 minutes to become a few hours.
Expectations exceeded
The Soccer World Cup was fantastically organised and we were very proud as South Africans to experience this world-class event. Many people had their doubts about South Africa’s ability to be a successful host, but it was done superbly. Almost everyone had very high expectations for our country and we are proud to say that it has exceeded these expectations.
We hope that all the visitors from overseas had the same exciting and unique experience we did and that they will return to enjoy the diverse beauty and culture the southern part of Africa has to offer.
*Ayoba is a slang term used by South Africans to express amazement, approval and appreciation.
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Theo Scheffler