Johannesburg - The dress rehearsal for the 2010 World Cup in
South Africa kicked off in Johannesburg Sunday, with the deafening
roar of thousands of plastic trumpets capping a colourful Africa-
themed opening ceremony.
The African village provided the inspiration for the 30-minute
spectacle of song and dance that prefaced the opening game in the
eight-nations Group A Confederations Cup between South Africa and
Iraq in Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium.
Dancers clad in traditional wrap skirts, saris, or billowing gowns
with veils or turbans representing various cultures on the continent
twirled around a thatched hut as a group of schoolchildren dribbled a
ball between two goals made of tree branches.
Despite the game being nearly sold out, the 61,000-seat stadium
was only about one-third full for the ceremony as the coaches
ferrying the fans to the game after a planned new bus system was put
on ice wound their way slowly through clogged city streets.
The show, which culminated with the schoolkids taking brushes and
painting themselves in the colours of the South African flag, was
designed by South African producer Lebo M and Jack Morton, producer
of the opening ceremony at the Beijing and Athens Olympics.
Renowned jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela and local pop star Yvonne
Chaka Chaka headlined the performing artists.
The dancers rendition of the 2010 World Cup 'diski' (as soccer is
known in South African townships) dance - a macarena-style dance
composed of a series of football moves - drew wild cheers from the
sea of mostly South African supporters clad in yellow and green.
A small islet of Iraq supporters trooping their country's red,
white and black flag tried in vain, to drown out the vuvuzelas -
deafening plastic trumpets blown by South African soccer fans - with
a tabla.
Opening the game, President Jacob Zuma, wearing a black-and-gold
tunic called the event 'a great day for Africa, for South Africa.'
Former president Nelson Mandela, 90, told Zuma he would be
watching the game from the comfort of his home, Zuma told Bafana
Bafana on the eve of the match.
Hours before the opening fans from all over South Africa converged
on the stadium.
Wearing a makarapa, the Viking-style decorated miners hats worn by
soccer fans, Machaka Masilo made his way to the venue on foot from
his nearby home with two friends.
Masilo, 29, who wore a yellow Bafana jersey and whose makarapa
featured a miniature pop-up Bafana player, said he was a die-hard
Kaizer Chiefs who had come to support the national team.
The Confederations Cup, held every four years in the World Cup
host nation a year before the big event, is seen as a yardstick of
country's preparedness.
Besides South Africa and Iraq, Spain, Italy, Brazil, the United
States, Egypt and New Zealand are participating in the so-called
Championship of Champions.
With South Africa's high crime rates continuing to cause concern
thousands of police and private security guards have been deployed
around the four host cities in the tournament - Johannesburg,
Pretoria, Rustenburg and Bloemfontein - to beef up security.
A group of around 40 security guards stood in protest outside the
stadium before the game. The guards were demanding their daily pay of
200 rands (24.80 dollars) be doubled for the Confederations Cup.
But their numbers were too few to pose a threat to the event's
security.
In a by now familiar mantra, the president of football's
controlling body FIFA Joseph Blatter, who pushed for the World Cup to
be brought to Africa, assured: 'We are convinced, that's why we are
committed, FIFA, is committed to Africa.'
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