What’s the difference between football and soccer? Since the end of apartheid and South Africa’s sporting isolation, Bafana Bafana have twice qualified – in 19 – for the Fifa World Cup. The nickname comes from the fans’ cry that went up during the team’s triumph at the 1996 African Nations Cup (also hosted in South Africa). Our national football team is known as Bafana Bafana – “the boys, the boys” in isiZulu. The eyes of billions of television viewers, millions of international visitors and the cream of the world’s sporting media will be focused on the southern tip of Africa. South Africa 2010 will draw even bigger audiences. The 2006 World Cup in Germany was the most extensively viewed event in television history. South Africa regularly hosts major international sporting events, and since 1994 has successfully managed some of the biggest – including the 1995 Rugby World Cup, 2003 Cricket World Cup, A1 Grand Prix (2006-), 2009 Indian Premier League, and 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup.īut the Fifa World Cup™, the world’s biggest single-code sporting event – in terms of television audience, bigger than the Olympic Games – is in a class of its own.įor four weeks starting 11 June 2010, South Africa will be the centre of the world. Has South Africa hosted big events before? And in case I need to escape for a bit?.Other than watch football, what else is there to do?.Where can I watch if I can’t get tickets?.Where can I find photos of the stadiums?.In which stadiums are the games being played?.Will South Africa benefit from the World Cup?.What’s the difference between football and soccer?.Has South Africa hosted big events before?.Whether you plan to be watching the games in a stadium or fan park on the southern tip of Africa, or on the screen back home, here’s a collection of quick information on the tournament, and the host country, to help enhance your experience.

The 2010 Fifa World Cup™ is about to take place in South Africa.

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