We did it; Johannesburg and the rest of South Africa successfully pulled off a fabulous Confederations Cup, standing us in good stead for next year's World Cup.

BRAVO Johannesburg! Bravo for being a great host of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009™.

This is what the thousands of spectators seemed to say in unison when the final whistle blew to end the final match between Brazil and the United States at Ellis Park Stadium in Jozi on Sunday night, 28 June.

Joburg celebrates the success of the Confederations Cup

There was a dazzling display of fireworks interspersed by glittering showers of confetti blown on to the pitch to signal the end of the two-week tournament, popularly known as the Festival of Champions.

Brazil, which staged a dramatic come-back to snatch a 3-2 win over the hapless USA, staged a samba dance at the centre of the pitch to the delight of the 52 000-strong crowd packed into the stadium on a chilly night.

Before the match at 7pm, the cup's closing ceremony, like the opening ceremony, was a glittering affair. There were performances by Judith Sephuma and Ntando, after which a spectacular display showed the road to the Confederations Cup.

Huge balls depicting the flags of the eight participating nations rolled freely on the pitch and stands, creating a football festival ambience. There was a breathtaking display of a kaleidoscope of colours which blended so well with the colourful crowd - indeed a wonderful sight to behold.

Performers created a map of Africa on the pitch, a fitting tribute to the continent that is going to host its first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2010.

As the display drew to a close, the crowd went wild as the buzz of vuvuzelas blasted away, drowning the ceremony music before a dazzling display of fireworks signalled the end of the ceremony.

Samkelo Maphanga from Vosloorus in Ekurhuleni said he had enjoyed himself tremendously during the tournament, and had attended three matches at Ellis Park, including the opening and closing games.

"I would have loved to have seen Bafana Bafana in the final but unfortunately it wasn't to be. But I enjoyed myself very much and I hope to see them do well during the 2010 World Cup," he said, rushing to catch a park and ride bus.

At Royal Bafokeng in Rustenburg, Bafana Bafana were beaten 3-2 in extra time by a fired up Spain. The win meant Bafana Bafana ended fourth in the football tournament, a position which many people see as quite an achievement considering the high quality of teams the local lads played against.

The football tournament started on 14 June, with South Africa, Egypt, Spain, New Zealand, Iraq, Brazil, USA and Italy vying for top spot in two groups. South Africa, Spain, USA and Brazil made it to the semifinals.

President Jacob Zuma, who attended the final match, hailed the Confederations Cup as a success and said South Africa was ready to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Related stories:

• Confederations Cup
• Confed Cup: Jozi is on the ball
• Bafana Bafana make us all proud
• Ellis Park
• Our 2010 role