Soweto, South Africa - 'You kiss it and then you blow, but
not too hard.'
Mohale Matsena raises his vuvuzela to his pursed lips, clears his
throat and, pointing the trumpet skyward, exhales a long, clear, bass
note.
The call of the plastic instrument, which has become synonymous
with South African football, unleashes a ripple of replies of varying
pitches from the crowd in Soweto.
About 1,000 people from the famous township outside Johannesburg -
the one-time epicentre of the anti-apartheid struggle - mobilized
anew on Saturday evening, this time in support of the national
football team.
From across the storied suburb of around 1 million people, they
assembled under a big screen in Thokoza Park to watch their team get
slogged 2-0 by Spain in the Confederations Cup, but still scrape
through to the semi-finals.
The eight-nation Confed Cup is a warm-up for next year's World
Cup, which South Africa will be the first African country to host.
All systems are being put to the test during the two-week
'Championship of Champions,' including public viewing of games.
South Africa is hoping to emulate the success of the fan parks
that revolutionized the World Cup three years ago in Germany.
Ten official fan parks will be established in nine cities hosting
the Cup, including two parks in Johannesburg.
No official fan parks were put in place for the Confed Cup. But
the host cities are giving a little taste of what's to come in June
and July 2010 by throwing open some parks with giant screens.
Johannesburg alone has nine such parks, two of them in Soweto,
home of South Africa's freedom and football alike.
The collection of townships, where the black majority was
relegated during apartheid, has produced three of the country's top
teams: Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Moroka Swallows.
Wherever there's a waste piece of ground, a football, real or
plastic-bag replica, is always being kicked around in Soweto, where a
glittering 94,000-seat, calabash-shaped new stadium will host the
World Cup's opening game and final.
Night has long fallen over Thokoza Park as home side Bafana Bafana
take on European champions Spain in a last group match, being played
in the central city of Bloemfontein, about 600 kilometres from
Johannesburg.
Police are leaving nothing to chance in crime-plagued Soweto.
About an hour before kickoff, two police vans swoop in on a clutch of
minibus taxis in the car park, where young men are furtively swilling
beer in defiance of a ban on public drink.
The alcohol is confiscated, and the taxis and passengers ordered
to 'hamba,' or leave, the area.
Some still manage to sneak alcohol into the park, where the
atmosphere is festive and non-locals are received by singing
supporters with open arms.
Reflecting on why she came out to watch on a winter's night to
watch the game, Neo Gadinabokao, a 17-year-old schoolgirl says: 'It's
the feeling of the whole community watching the match as one.'
Did she think foreign fans would consider Soweto when seeking
places to watch games during the World Cup?
'I certainly hope so,' she says.
Matsena points with his vuvuzela as he joins in a song in Zulu
about hemming in your opponent from the left and then the right and
then hammering them over the head.
Like many South Africans, the 31-year-old bank clerk doesn't take
kindly to the criticism levelled by members of the Spanish team and
some European spectators at the 'noisy' instruments.
'I believe it's something that we can be proud of,' he says.
The sense of pride is evident in the playing of the national
anthem, but enthusiams wanes as Spain sidesteps South Africa to put
two goals in the back of the net.
With 15 minutes of play left, scores of people make for the exit,
not realizing that the goalless draw in a simultaneous game between
Iraq and New Zealand, also in the same group, means the hosts are
through to the semi-finals.
USA
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