World Cup kicks off in African celebration

About 70,000 people witness ceremony amid music and pomp

June 11, 2010 10:55 pm | Updated November 09, 2016 03:04 pm IST - JOHANNESBURG

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, left, and South African President Jacob Zuma, right, gesture to the crowd before the World Cup group A soccer match between South Africa and Mexico in Johannesburg on Friday. Photo: AP

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, left, and South African President Jacob Zuma, right, gesture to the crowd before the World Cup group A soccer match between South Africa and Mexico in Johannesburg on Friday. Photo: AP

Fighter jets sped low over the Soccer City stadium here briefly, drowning out the constant din of tens of thousands of vuvuzela trumpets as South Africa opened the 2010 soccer World Cup on Friday with a celebration of African culture.

The stadium, resembling a massive African cooking pot and the largest in Africa, erupted in cheers as performers took to the field to mark the first time that sports' most watched tournament has been staged on the continent.

Reported traffic problems, though, delayed some fans, leading to the ceremony kicking off to many empty seats.

Desmond Tutu dances

A giant dung beetle puppet rolled a ball across the arena as Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, wrapped in a yellow and green scarf and beanie hat, danced in the stands and 1,500 performers jived to African music. Dancers then unfurled stretches of cloth to make a map of Africa, with footprints showing the migration of humankind across the continent.

Boards displayed the colours of the 32 competing teams and banners pointed to the nine host cities while drummers beat a constant rhythm.

But one of the loudest cheers was reserved for the former South African president, Nelson Mandela, whose image appeared on screens to a message of hope from him in song. Mr. Mandela did not attend the ceremony following the death of his great grand-daughter, Zenani Mandela, overnight.

A sea of green and gold

About 70,000 people, a sea of green and gold, South Africa's national team colours, listened to songs from the six African nations in the tournament — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Algeria — and Grammy award winner R. Kelly's anthem “Sign of a Victory.”

Artists from the six African teams then took to the stage, including Khaled, the Algerian king of rai music, Nigeria's Femi Kuti and South Africa's legendary trumpeter Hugh Masekela.

Pockets of Mexican fans waved banners and flags, many adding to the overwhelming noise made by vuvuzelas, the loud plastic trumpet that has quickly become a symbol of this World Cup.

South Africans have embraced the tournament in a swell of national pride not seen since Mr. Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and the first all-race election four years later.

Ever since it was awarded the tournament six years ago, South Africa has had to fend off accusations that its poor infrastructure and high crime rate meant it could not stage an event of such magnitude.

The hosts hope that a successful tournament with world renowned names such as Argentina's Lionel Messi, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and England's Wayne Rooney will overturn perceptions of Africa as the hopeless continent — a place regarded by many as synonymous with war, famine and AIDS.

Humanity and progress

“The World Cup must make the world see the beautiful landscape, humanity, progress and vibrant spirit that is in this continent,” South African President Jacob Zuma told visiting heads of state.

“They will see that this continent is not about wars and conflict. It is a continent of peoples who love peace, harmony and sustainable development,” he said.

All the stadiums and infrastructure projects have been completed on time although crime is still a worry. Journalists have been robbed at gunpoint and thieves have even stolen cash from the rooms of the Greek team.

The first of the tournament's 63 matches, between South Africa's Bafana Bafana team and Mexico, followed the opening ceremony at Soccer City, a showpiece arena rebuilt to resemble an African cooking pot, lying just a long kick from Soweto.

Roads around the stadiums have been declared off limits and bomb squads swept the seats before the gates opened.

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