South Africans Awash in a Wave of ExpectationsAt South Africa’s final news conference Tuesday, every player without hesitation called this World Cup,
duty tarpsand especially Friday’s highly anticipated opening match against Mexico,
Team Canada jerseysthe most significant moment in their careers — some said of their lives.
Indeed, in the first match of the first World Cup to be played on African soil, 90,000 fans, most of them South Africans, will witness the moment inside Soccer City Stadium here.
The match has been accorded almost life-giving, transformative powers. From villages to towns to cities, there has been talk of how Bafana Bafana, or the Boys, as the South African team is known, have unified South Africa, even how the team’s success might help bridge the enormous divide of poverty and wealth that exists in this country.
The South African side wrapped up its preparations for the tournament last Saturday by defeating Denmark, 1-0, in an exhibition game at Soccer City. The victory was South Africa’s third in a row. And though the victories were over mediocre opponents, the team’s performances have added to the already heightened expectations for a fantastic run through the tournament.
These are good times for Bafana Bafana. The players are soaking up the love and creating greater anticipation than any previous South African national team, only two of which competed in the World Cup, neither advancing out of the group stage. The good feelings have been expressed in every part of the country: on billboards, in the street,
Team Canada jerseysat schools.
On Sunday during an event in Pretoria, South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma, recalled the day in May 2004 when South Africa was awarded the bid to host the 2010 World Cup. “We knew from that moment that South Africa would never be the same again,
duty tarps” he said.
During a news conference at the team’s hotel, players were asked if they felt any additional pressure to win, with everyone from the president to the farmer counting on them to do well.
On Monday, midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane acknowledged the weight of expectations.
“There’s always going to be pressure because we know we’re not playing for ourselves only,” he said. “We’re uniting the whole nation, the whole nation is behind us, and we need to repay them.”
Goalkeeper Moneeb Joseph said that the pressure had transformed Bafana Bafana into a side that now actually thinks it can win.
“When it was announced that we were going to host the World Cup, we as players felt that we were just going to be competing in the World Cup, but as the confidence grew with a new
coach, we started to get more confidence in our playing ability,” Joseph said. “I think the mind-set has changed to a place where we’re going to want to win now, we want to succeed in this. And who knows, we might go all the way.”
Team Canada jerseysJoseph acknowledged the pressure but said, “Pressure is good;
duty tarpsthat’s motivational pressure.”
