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South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup group A soccer match between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, Friday, June 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
We all know the record. No World Cup host has ever failed to progress through the group stage. You could argue South Africa, as the second-lowest ranked nation at the 2010 World Cup, are strong candidates to put an end to that stat, but as the opening night showed the tournament needs the hosts to hang around.
And as the opening night also showed, South Africa might just be capable of doing that and getting through their group.
Siphiwe Tshabalala’s 55th minute goal was a strike befitting of the occasion on opening night at Soccer City, but it was also a symbol of Bafana Bafana at their best.
Despite Mexico looking impressive in the first-half, South Africa had their chances throughout the contest and played some free-flowing football but couldn’t get a second goal once they’d gone ahead.
In the end it cost them as Rafael Marquez equalised after he was inexplicably left unmarked inside the box.
Nevertheless, the large local contingent of the 84,500 strong crowd wouldn’t have headed home from Soccer City totally disappointed, despite going closest to a winner late when Katlego Mphela hit the post.
The performance hinted they can trouble their next group opponents Uruguay and France.
There’s no doubt that will enthuse the locals, who parochially and colourfully seized the streets in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandton on Thursday to get one final glimpse of Bafana Bafana before the World Cup opener.
Incredibly, midday on Thursday was devoted to a five-minute break for people to blow their vuvuzelas!
But the colour and noise of Thursday revealed just what we can expect in the next month in the Rainbow Nation.
The spectacle of Friday night during the opening game in Jo’burg delivered on that promise and it was reminiscent of the sea of red we saw in Korea in 2002, but unique in its own peculiar way.
Indeed, never before have we had a World Cup in Africa, so the peculiarities of this tournament will be led by the home nation’s charge.
From the extravagant sunglasses to the colourful costumes and over-sized hats, the South African fans will offer a lot of character to this World Cup.
Then there’s the patriotism behind it all and I’ve been told everywhere you look – every street corner, every supermarket, every passing vehicle – is adorned with South Africa colours.
Bafana Bafana’s pre-World Cup run of 12 matches unbeaten – admittedly against questionable opposition – has helped generate some momentum too.
Some have argued it’s all given rise to a blurring of traditional divides, for the time being at least, with the nation united behind the football team.
You get the feeling, the longer the hopes of South Africa stay alive, the richer the 2010 World Cup will be.
Naturally, the performance of any host nation at a World Cup is important, but there’s something unique about the first World Cup held in Africa and the atmosphere, noise and colour it brings.
So the question is how far can Bafana Bafana go?
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