This Friday, and every Friday until 11 June 2010, wear your team's football jersey, learn the Diski Dance, and ramp up World Cup excitement

SOUTH Africans have been asked to wear their football jerseys every Friday until the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to demonstrate their support for the football tournament.

With less than 40 Fridays to go before kickoff on 11 June 2010, the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC), together with the International Marketing Council (IMC), South African Tourism (SAT) and the SABC, is encouraging people to wear the Bafana Bafana or any other team jersey until the start of the 2010 World Cup.

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, called Football Friday, on Friday, 4 September at Safa House, OC chief executive Danny Jordaan said the day marked a moment to recognise that the bricks and mortar period of preparations for the tournament was coming to a close.

"All the 10 host stadiums are in place. We now move from infrastructure to the real hosts - the people of South Africa. We will need all the South African flags, the national anthem, the football jerseys and our national team, Bafana Bafana, to popularise the event."

Even though thousands of visitors were expected to descend on South Africa during the World Cup, it was South Africans who were expected to lead the pack in promoting the tournament, according to Jordaan.

"The big touch is the touch of our people. It is time for us to get ready," he said.

The chief executive of the IMC, Paul Bannister, said the campaign not only touched South Africans in the country, but those living abroad as well.

"We want to turn the thousands of football supporters into fanatical supporters. We want every South African to fly the South African flag at every opportunity they get. This is a defining moment for us," he said.

Every South African was also encouraged to learn the Diski Dance so they could "welcome the world and host them with the spirit of celebration and rhythm", said the chief executive of SAT, Didi Moyle.

Giving their full support to the campaign, cellphone operator and World Cup sponsor, MTN, had its K'yoze Kuyovalwa (gig rig) campaign at Safa House to entertain invited guests.

The rig, a 16m horse and trailer with a stage, has been touring the country drumming up excitement for the tournament. It includes on-stage activities, fan competitions, trivia quizzes, interactive on-screen games, music and SMS competitions.

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