Big hype of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup memories

It was time for Africa to show its ability to host the Fifa World Cup and so South Africans came together to celebrate their World Cup, and what a memorable occasion that was for the country to host one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

Today, 10 years ago, the pride of Africa commenced at Soccer City, situated right on the doorstep of the Southern Suburbs.

Watch that goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala again:

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The world cup was held from June 11 to July 11, attracted a total of 3 178 856 spectators, 64 matches were held from Limpopo to Western Cape, 10 stadiums were played in, in nine South African host cities.
South Africans have silenced some of their biggest critics over the world and still some mesmerising over funds is doing its rounds 10 years later, but that aside, the country received some accolades afterwards by hosting one of the best Fifa World Cups.

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It was shown in every single country and territory on earth.
The centre hub for digital electronics was, once again, situated in the South, at Nasrec. TV coverage included Antarctica and the Arctic Circle, with the final alone between Spain and Netherlands watched by over 900 million people.
The tournament was watched by a cumulative 3.2 billion people globally, generating record-breaking viewing figures in many TV markets around the world, and enhancing South Africa’s status as a top tourism market in an abundance of new territories.

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And who can forget the little dance South Africans had to adapt and learn to fit in their own world cup song before and during the Fifa World Cup.
Waka Waka, the official 2010 Fifa World Cup song by Colombian superstar Shakira and South Africa’s Freshlyground, has now been watched over 2.5 billion times on YouTube, and continues to vividly keep the memories of the tournament alive globally.
Ten years on from 2010’s Fifa World Cup, the showpiece remains a great source of pride for the African continent.
Failure on an epic scale was predicted by global media for many years leading up to the tournament, but a flawless first African Fifa World Cup confounded the critics and showcased a new side of the continent to the globe.

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“The first Fifa World Cup on African soil was by all accounts a major success for a number of reasons. We wanted it to be a human story of celebrating the African continent, and for it to rise above South Africa’s apartheid-era past and build on Nelson Mandela’s message of social cohesion and reconciliation.

“We wanted the tournament to contribute to the building of a new South African nation, and while major challenges for our people still persist, South Africa’s democracy has considerably strengthened over the last decade and the country has made considerable forward strides,” said South African Football Association (Safa) president Dr Danny Jordaan, who was the CEO of the 2010 Fifa World Cup organising committee South Africa.

“We celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2010 Fifa World Cup at a very difficult time for our country and for the world, as we battle the devastating impact of the coronavirus.

“It is important, though, even in these uncertain and difficult times, to reflect on an event that brought joy, pride and smiles to the faces of all Africans who love football and who cherish the advancement of their continent.

“We once again take the opportunity to thank South Africans, all Africans, Fifa, CAF and the global football community for their contribution to the success of the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” said Dr Jordaan.

Soccer City exploded when Bafana Bafana’s Siphiwe Tshabala scored the opening goal against Mexico, who camped out and trained at Waterstone College, in the South.
And then, an African nation came within just one penalty kick of reaching the world cup’s semi-final stage for the first time in 2010, the exploits of ‘BaGhana BaGhana’.

“The stadiums of the 2010 Fifa World Cup still stand as functional monuments to the 2010 Fifa World Cup. All stadia are still fully operational and deliver important services to football, well utilised by clubs in the Premier Soccer League, which has cemented its status as one of the top football leagues on the African continent and indeed in world football,” said Dr Jordaan.

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The stadia built for the purpose of the 2010 world cup have ensured South Africa has become one of the world’s leading events destinations, having hosted major events, such as the Global Citizen Festival, the Cape Town Sevens Rugby tournament, a rugby international between the Springboks and All Blacks which attracted the highest attendance ever for a rugby match in this country, as well as concerts by the likes of Guns ‘N Roses, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, U2, Cassper Nyovest, Black Coffee and many others.

The tournament also provided an important infrastructure boost for South Africa, buffering it to an extent from the effects of the 2008 global economic crisis. The country’s upgraded airports have led to increased capacity which has over the last decade enhanced South Africa’s tourism industry and economy.
The Gautrain, which opened just three days before the 2010 world cup, has added convenience and efficiency to travel in one of South Africa’s key transport hubs.

The tournament had its own quirks, with the vuvuzela and the Jabulani tournament ball getting mixed reviews, while Paul the Octopus also made global headlines by correctly predicting the outcome of 12 out of 14 games of the tournament.
The final was played on July 11, 2010 at Soccer City. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0, after an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta.

The win gave Spain its first World Cup title.
Paul correctly chose Spain as the winner of the 2010 Fifa World Cup, with Iniesta’s winner in the final against Netherlands forever going down in the annals of Spanish and African football history.

And who will think that after 10 years, the 201st Fifa World Cup still remains etched in the memories of South Africans whether they are football fans or not, and it all started in the South.