WC Fever....

World Cup fever has gripped the nation and I have not been unaffected.  Having favored Brazil from a very young age after seeing Pele in the film documentary "Giants of Brazil".  I do not follow football, or soccer as it is more commonly known in SA, when it comes to the FIFA World Cup, I make an attempt to watch as many games as I can.  The truth be told that I have no idea who all the players are, well not quite, I know a few but hardly enough to count on one hand. 

Now the die hard soccer fan may frown at this but I believe I have a distinct advantage.  Firstly not knowing the players, I can discover the talents that each of the countries bring to the tournament.  Since I do not know the players, any player that displays a reasonable amount of skill gets my admiration.  When watching a game I get excited if either of the teams make an attempt at goal or score a goal.  I am able to stand apart and appreciate the sheer beauty and brilliance of the players on the field.

This is what makes the world cup exciting for me.  It is every countries pick of the best players they are able to assemble so that they can represent the nation and hopefully take home the coveted trophy.  The dream of every team that make it to the finals.  What makes it even more exciting for me is that it is being held in my back yard with most of the games being played in Johannesburg.  And I am privileged to be able to be present at at least one of the matches.

To put this into perspective, let us look at  some of the numbers.  There are approximately 3 million tickets for the entire tournament.  Of those a significant amount of tickets are reserved for dignitaries, the press and media and VIP's.  There are approximately 2 billion football fans across the globe.  To attend at least one match is therefore a huge privilege.  This is what makes the world cup so special.

So as the day draws nearer I am busy gathering all the paraphernalia of the team I favor, as I have been fortunate enough to secure a ticket to a game in which they will be participating.  I guess I to have now become a supporter :-)      

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 15, 2010 at 11:40 PM

    Pity you dont share the shame passion for Bafana Bafana..after all, it is being held in our very own 'back-yard'

    ReplyDelete

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