June 13, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
IT IS about 4.30pm on Friday, 9 June and the bar at the popular Londoner Pub and Restaurant on Raleigh Street in Yeoville is already abuzz with people watching the opening ceremony of the World Cup, waiting for the match between the host country, Germany and Costa Rica, to start.
"We expect business to pick up sharply during the World Cup because most soccer lovers enjoy watching soccer with friends over a mug of beer," says Tracy Ndebele, a waitress at the bar.
Ndebele says she is not an ardent soccer supporter, but vouches for Brazil to win the World Cup. "I think they are the best team at the moment," she says, adding that she is disappointed that South Africa did not make it to Germany.
Across the courtyard at Time Square, there's plenty of activity. A plasma television set has been specifically installed for patrons to enjoy the "beautiful game".
It's early days and talk at the tables is not specifically about soccer.
"I don't think the Soccer World Cup is as popular here because it's mostly overseas countries that are in the spotlight. Come the Africa Cup of Nations, Yeoville's streets would be bedecked with flags of all the African nations and the mood would be much more festive," says Melusi Dubase, a patron from Bellevue.
Across at the Mabaleng Sports Bar on Kotze Street in Hillbrow, it's almost 5pm and the noise levels are higher. The bar is adorned with posters of local soccer teams and there are one or two patrons wearing the colours of the Brazil soccer team. "Bafana Bafana!" shouts one man, nursing a quart of beer.
Several television sets are placed strategically around the bar – all tuned to the 2006 Soccer World Cup. Activities of the opening ceremony are still being beamed live and the fans are getting impatient for the kick-off.
"I will be giving my support to the Costa Rica team today even though I don't know how strong they are. I like South American teams and I believe either Brazil or Argentina will lift the Cup," says a man who identifies himself as Sande.
Kick-off time is getting closer and Theressa's, a small bar at the corner of Smit and Simmonds in Braamfontein, is already full. A big video projector screen is strategically placed on one wall and the beer is flowing.
Fred Ogenga, a Wits student from Kenya, has been waiting for the match to start since 2pm. "I am a soccer fan and I don't have a particular team to support. But I think Brazil is going to retain the Cup because they are superior in every field of the game to other teams."
Ogenga's view is echoed by Bafana Malambe from Nelspruit, also a student at Wits. He believes Brazil and Germany will play in the finals.
Malambe's prediction that Brazil or Germany will come out tops is supported by a global Synovate survey released on the eve of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. South Africans voted for Brazil (50 percent) as the top contender for the World Cup trophy followed by Germany (20 percent) in the survey among 8 075 respondents in South Africa and 13 other countries.
As evidence of their passion for soccer, South Africans also topped the list of those most likely to rearrange their day in order to watch the World Cup games, using it as an excuse to avoid doing household chores or calling in sick to work in order to watch matches during working hours.
A majority of the South African respondents in the survey said they did not normally follow soccer but would make an exception for the World Cup.
With the final score at 4-2 in favour of Germany at the opening match, it seems the 2006 Soccer World Cup will live up to its reputation as both South Africa's and the world's most popular sports spectacle.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
