Amid the buzzing of the vuvuzelas and the exuberant cheers of the crowd, there was a moment of sadness at the opening match when South African President, Jacob Zuma, referred to the tragic news of the death of Nelson Mandela’s great-granddaughter the night before the opening match.A mourning Madiba, South Africa’s beloved anti-apartheid icon, could not join in on the explosion of emotion and national pride at the opening ceremony, but the crowd of 95,000 at Soccer City roared its approval when President Jacob Zuma delivered Mandela’s message to enjoy the football – “The spirit of Mandela is in Soccer City”. And indeed it was.
South African team, Bafana Bafana, played a gutsy and passionate game, scoring the very first goal of the World Cup, in their match against Mexico. Although the match ended in a 1-1 draw, spirits ran high as fans celebrated their 83rd ranked team’s results against Mexico, ranked at 17. The sea of multi-colored faces – waving South African flags, trumpeting on their vuvuzelas, and proudly wearing their makarabas, showed the kind of unity Nelson Mandela has always dreamed of.
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” – Nelson Mandela
Whatever the challenges are in this rainbow-colored nation, sport has once again reached across the racial divide and today the sun shines brightly in South Africa, fulfilling Madiba’s vision of sports uniting his nation. As FIFA president Sepp Blatter said recently, “Let’s celebrate the most charismatic humanist alive – Nelson Mandela”. Feel the pride of South Africans and read their positive messages here.
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