Eugéne Etsebeth - World Cup 2010 - Alive with possibility

A calabash of yellow erupted into a frenzy. Siphiwe Tshabalala had just opened the scoring in the FIFA World Cup 2010 tournament. People in the rows behind me, complete strangers, hugged me. I hugged them back, while trying to jump up a down like a pogo-stick.

When it all calmed down I looked across at the dejected Mexican supporters – all 30 000 of them. I almost couldn’t believe that Mexico, that had already hosted two World Cups, was on the back foot in this opening game. I was also keenly aware that many millions of South Americans and people the world over were having their perceptions of Africa shattered on that famous day – June 11, 2010.

I was proud that the opening ceremony – with a distinctly South African theme and double-decker sized dung beetle – signalled to the detractors and naysayers that we are world beaters. One win, one loss and a draw was Bafana Bafana’s report card. This is not a bad result considering our low ranking going in to the tournament.

In the lead up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup the “alive with possibility” campaign was launched and had important people like Desmond Tutu, Thabo Mbeki and Joel Stransky brandishing the possibilities in South Africa. Margaret Dingalo from the International Marketing Council of SA (IMC) summed up the “alive with possibility” campaign on the SouthAfrica.info website: “South Africa needs to build an image of the nation, both within and beyond our borders, that matches its potential to grow.”

It was off the field where South Africans were scoring goal after goal. A staggering cumulative 26 billion people around the globe watched the World Cup. The images of South Africa’s world class stadiums, classy press facilities and high tech communications remoulded perceptions of the Dark Continent. In another gestalt flip for non-South Africans, we successfully showed 25 matches in 3D technology.

South Africans underwent a patriotic period of flag waving and ululation. Fans of all creeds joined together in single celebration.  I watched the final game in a Johannesburg restaurant. Next to me was a family of Americans. During the closing ceremony I struck up a conversation with them. The dad was a successful fund manager, along with his eldest son. They had travelled to South Africa for the first time and had fallen in love with the country. We all sat mesmerised by the quality of the closing show. The American family and the entire restaurant contingent were incredibly impressed with how far South Africa and its citizens had progressed. 

I knew in those moments during the ceremony at the calabash-shaped stadium that our “alive with possibilities” reality was silently being transmitted to millions of people, one powerful frame after another.