Jabulani was kicked for the first time on African soil on Friday, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ opening match between South Africa and Mexico.
Happy South Africans braved the winter cold and flooded Soccer City in Soweto, as well as fan parks, public viewing areas, and friends’ houses to experience firsthand this exciting event.
On Friday morning, vuvuzelas were blaring in my Johannesburg building from as early as 5am. After a few hours at work, I made my way to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to watch the opening match.
On the way there traffic was bumper-to-bumper, but never has being stuck in traffic been so much fun. The taxi drivers were all smiles; they even gave way to other motrists. Hooting, music and people screaming their lungs out resounded all around.
In Newtown, all was green and yellow, except the people of course. People of all races and nationalities were there to share the spirit. The World Cup in South Africa! This was history in the making, and something I will definitely talk about with my children and their children.
My friends and I found ourselves a nice spot on the stairs of Museum Africa that allowed us to see everything.
The opening ceremony was out of this world, while the performances and the dance routines left me speechless. It got everyone in a party mood - people got together, sang, ululated, blew their vuvuzelas, or even did the Diski Dance. Then fans returned to their vantage spots for the national anthem.
When the referee blew the whistle for kick off, I worried about the team; I couldn’t imagine how they were feeling.
It was hard to hear the commentary on the match but the noise soared when Bafana Bafana scored. The crowd went crazy, strangers hugged, some even prayed, and the vuvuzelas grew louder and louder. Although I wanted Bafana to win, I was still pleased with the 1-1 draw. We did incredibly well against such an esteemed team.
After the match there were some live performances by South African artists to keep the party mood going.
Thanks, FIFA, for the fan park fiesta – it was an amazing experience.
