It never gets bigger than this

The countdown is over. The world’s greatest sporting event kicks off on Friday in Johannesburg.

Watched by billions of the game’s die-hard fans and lovers across the globe, thirty-two national teams that qualified to vie for the FIFA World Cup will slug it out over the next one month to win the crown in the final to be played on July 25.

South Africa has won the distinction of being the first African country to host the mega event. The Rainbow Nation has readied ten venues in nine cities across the country to host, in all, 64 matches. Fans from all over the world have arrived in the country as the host prepared to take on Mexico in the opening match at 7.30 pm.

The build-up to the World Cup has seen a clutch of stars, most notably David Beckham and Michael Ballack, holding their limbs and falling by the wayside in agony.
But this will not make any difference to the level of excitement expected over the next four weeks.

The best of the best have points to prove in the 19th edition of the tournament, from the giants of Brazil to European champions Spain and from four-time champions Italy to the injury-hit squad from Germany.

The men who don the boots too have goals to chase, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney of England, all facing challenges of their life-time. Fans will witness the best of national rivalries in the game. For sure, as in the past, new stars will emerge by the end of the tournament.

A day before the inaugural, South African excitement climbed to a crescendo on Thursday. “Vuvuzela” trumpets blasted and soccer chants rang out from fans wearing their national colours. South African joy was boosted by news that the father of the post-apartheid nation, Nelson Mandela, was likely to attend Friday’s opening ceremony. Mandela, 91, and in frail health, is widely credited with helping his countrywin the World Cup bid in 2004 and if he does attend the opening match he will inspire the nation as he did when South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995.

A year ago South Africans were accused by FIFA of being too apathetic about the tournament and widely slated their underachieving national side “Bafana Bafana” (The Boys).

Now, after an unbeaten run of 12 matches the rejuvenated team are national heroes and pin-ups and go into the opening match against Mexico in Johannesburg’s cavernous Soccer City stadium, Africa’s largest, brimming with confidence. They could yet be one of Africa’s dark horses in this tournament.

But even if they fall short, as one of the lowest-ever rated host teams, South Africa expects the World Cup to bring a legacy of tourism, investment, development and greater racial harmony in an oft-troubled nation, 16 years after apartheid ended. In hotels and training grounds across the wide and beautiful nation, players and coaches of the 32 competing nations had their eyes set on lifting the globe’s most coveted sporting prize on July 11, although an extraordinary series of injuries has reduced the odds on some.

The majority of 90,000 people in Soccer City on Friday will be backing Bafana Bafana.