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Johannesburg - South Africans were brimming with pride and anticipation on Thursday on the eve of the first World Cup on African soil.
While the last of the 32 competing teams flew in, the Rainbow Nation was caught up in a wave of euphoria not seen since the demise of the apartheid regime and Nelson Mandela's election 16 years ago.
As blasts of the ear-splitting vuvuzelas echoed around town, flag sellers who set up stalls at traffic lights struggled to keep pace with demand and even police officers wore jackets in South Africa's national colours.
After tens of thousands took to the streets of Johannesburg to cheer on Bafana Bafana in an open-top bus on Wednesday, it was the turn of Cape Town to join the party with a street festival in the city centre.
The front-page of the Citizen proclaimed "Bafana Mania!" while an editorial in the same paper said the outbreak of patriotism in a country which is still struggling to bridge a racial divide can only be a force for good.
"For one brief shining moment we can forget the problems that beset the country and hopefully build on the enthusiasm and patriotism sweeping the land," it said.
In The Star newspaper even the cookery pages were caught up in the excitement, including a recipe for chocolate brownies with tequila sauce in a nod to South Africa's challengers Mexico in Friday's opening match.
Fend off claims
"South Africans are late believers, but once they believe, they are fanatical believers," said Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the local organising committee, at a final pre-tournament session with reporters.
As international artists such as Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas prepared to take to the stage at the historic Orlando stadium in Soweto, the township's most famous ex-resident welcomed a new chance to combat prejudice.
"The 2010 World Cup is more than just a simple game," Madiba said in a message to soccer's governing body FIFA.
"It symbolises the power of soccer to bring people together regardless of their language, colour of their skin, their politics or religion."
Ever since it became the first African nation to win the right to stage the tournament six years ago, South Africa has had to fend off claims that its high crime rate, lack of infrastructure and rudimentary public transport rendered it an unsuitable choice.
Work at all 10 host stadiums has been completed on time while a series of signature World Cup infrastructure projects are also up and running, including Africa's first high-speed rail link.
But the spectre of crime continued to stalk visitors, with a Chinese television crew among the latest victims to be robbed at gunpoint.
About 300 000 foreign fans are expected in the country for the tournament.
Organisers said VIPs at Friday's opening match would include US Vice-President Joe Biden, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
About 20 African heads of state will also be present, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who is subject to a travel ban from the European Union and United States.
Thursday night's concert at Orlando stadium is expected to be watched on television by millions of people.
While the last of the 32 competing teams flew in, the Rainbow Nation was caught up in a wave of euphoria not seen since the demise of the apartheid regime and Nelson Mandela's election 16 years ago.
As blasts of the ear-splitting vuvuzelas echoed around town, flag sellers who set up stalls at traffic lights struggled to keep pace with demand and even police officers wore jackets in South Africa's national colours.
After tens of thousands took to the streets of Johannesburg to cheer on Bafana Bafana in an open-top bus on Wednesday, it was the turn of Cape Town to join the party with a street festival in the city centre.
The front-page of the Citizen proclaimed "Bafana Mania!" while an editorial in the same paper said the outbreak of patriotism in a country which is still struggling to bridge a racial divide can only be a force for good.
"For one brief shining moment we can forget the problems that beset the country and hopefully build on the enthusiasm and patriotism sweeping the land," it said.
In The Star newspaper even the cookery pages were caught up in the excitement, including a recipe for chocolate brownies with tequila sauce in a nod to South Africa's challengers Mexico in Friday's opening match.
Fend off claims
"South Africans are late believers, but once they believe, they are fanatical believers," said Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the local organising committee, at a final pre-tournament session with reporters.
As international artists such as Shakira and the Black Eyed Peas prepared to take to the stage at the historic Orlando stadium in Soweto, the township's most famous ex-resident welcomed a new chance to combat prejudice.
"The 2010 World Cup is more than just a simple game," Madiba said in a message to soccer's governing body FIFA.
"It symbolises the power of soccer to bring people together regardless of their language, colour of their skin, their politics or religion."
Ever since it became the first African nation to win the right to stage the tournament six years ago, South Africa has had to fend off claims that its high crime rate, lack of infrastructure and rudimentary public transport rendered it an unsuitable choice.
Work at all 10 host stadiums has been completed on time while a series of signature World Cup infrastructure projects are also up and running, including Africa's first high-speed rail link.
But the spectre of crime continued to stalk visitors, with a Chinese television crew among the latest victims to be robbed at gunpoint.
About 300 000 foreign fans are expected in the country for the tournament.
Organisers said VIPs at Friday's opening match would include US Vice-President Joe Biden, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
About 20 African heads of state will also be present, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who is subject to a travel ban from the European Union and United States.
Thursday night's concert at Orlando stadium is expected to be watched on television by millions of people.
