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The
ambassadors and representatives of the 32 nations taking part in next year's
football tournament were at Safa House to witness their nations' flags going
up.
THE
32 flags representing nations taking part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ fluttered
gaily in the morning wind, a splash of colour against the backdrop of the giant
Soccer City Stadium.
Hoisting the flag of Ghana: Danny Jordaan, the Organising Committee’s chief executive, looks on
The
ambassadors of the 31 foreign countries, an interesting mix of nations from all
over the world, stood proudly under the flag poles, some of them glancing up at
the cloudy skies as if calling for divine intervention to help their respective
nations win the coveted World Cup in 2010.
Laurent
Clavel, representing France at the flag hoisting ceremony held at Safa House on
Thursday, 19 November, was all smiles.
"This
is a wonderful moment for us. Yesterday night was a very short night for us. It
was fantastic; it was very crazy to qualify in the last minute. I am sure that
all the people of France are very pleased that the team is coming to South
Africa in 2010."
Clavel
conceded that it had been difficult for France to qualify for the tournament.
"It's been a difficult beginning but a very good finish," he said with a smile.
France,
which qualified for the 2010 World Cup after playing to a 1-1 draw with Ireland
on the night of 18 November, joined Greece, Slovenia, Portugal, Uruguay and
Algeria, which also qualified in the nick of time.
Flags raised for 2010 teams
Joburg sees the 32 flags of the nations taking part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ unfurled. See the video. |
The
other competitors are Brazil, Nigeria, Cameroon, New Zealand, Japan,
Netherlands, North Korea, South Korea, USA, Australia, Ghana, England, Paraguay,
Spain, Denmark, Ivory Coast, Chile, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Serbia,
Switzerland, Argentina, Honduras, Slovakia and hosts South Africa.
A
few moments before the flag raising ceremony took place, the 2010 FIFA World
Cup Local Organising Committee (OC) chairman, Irvin Khoza, welcomed and
congratulated the 31 nations for making it to the World Cup.
He
said: "204 countries entered the World Cup and you should be proud to make it
to the last 32. It is wonderful to see the flags of al the 32 countries flying
a few metres away from Soccer City Stadium, the venue for the opening match and
finals of the tournament. Our African dream is becoming a reality."
Celebrations at the flag raising ceremony
All
this came after years of hard work preparing for this moment, a time when the 32
teams were finalised, said Danny Jordaan, the OC's chief executive.
"The
finalisation of the 32 participating countries is a major milestone and we
would like to warmly welcome all of them to Africa's first World Cup. Our
country and our continent cannot wait to receive the players and their
multitudes of fans who will descend on South Africa next year for what is sure
to be an unforgettable event."
Jordaan
said he was particularly delighted that the giants of African football -
Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Algeria - were joining the hosts,
South Africa, in what was a formidable line-up of African participants.
The
raising of the flags at SAFA House is auspicious for Johannesburg. Just over
the boundary is Soccer City,
the flagship City stadium that will host the opening match and the final
fixture of the world event.
Designed
to look like an African pot being warmed by flames from a pit of fire, it is
shaping up to be a unique venue, providing a warm and welcoming space for local
and international visitors.
As
of 28 September, 650 527 tickets have been sold. Of this number, 345 894
tickets have gone to South Africans while 304 633 have been bought by
overseas fans. It is expected that the remaining tickets will be bought once
the final draw is concluded.
With
only two weeks left before the draw is held in Cape Town, Khoza advised people
to buy tickets for the event early. "After the draw we will be intensifying
ticket sales. It's better to buy tickets now. Don't wait for 4 December because
it is going to be very difficult to buy tickets," he said.
Local Organising Committee chairman Irvin Khoza and mascot Zakumi
In Joburg, residents will be able to
watch the draw
live from nine MTN eKasi Township TV sites in the parks across
Joburg.
The draw is expected to attract a television audience of more than
700 million people around the world.
Clavel
said he would like to see France reach the finals and he hoped multitudes of
French fans would be in South Africa. And he said he loved the vuvuzela, the
brightly coloured plastic trumpet
that is a feature of football in South Africa.
"I
love the vuvuzela. When you are in the stadium it's so exciting, it's so
moving. There is no problem with the vuvuzela. It's perfect," he said.
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