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Traffic 'no problem' for fans

Johannesburg - Soccer fans stuck in gridlocked traffic around Sandton refused to let their slow pace dampen their spirits ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.

One man, who managed to travel 5km in three hours, leaned out of his car window and commented that he was thankful that this wife gave birth last week.

"This is chaos... can you imagine getting to hospital in this traffic."

Another fan entertained himself by hooting at Mexico supporters walking on the road with sombreros on their heads.

"We're going to beat you 2-0 this afternoon, china," he said.

Gridlocked


People in their cars leaned out of their windows blowing their vuvuzelas, waving flags and joking with each other.

Traffic came to complete halt along Grayston drive and Rivonia road as fans made their way to a fan park in Sandton. One irate motorist incessantly hooted.

"I'm not going to make the opening ceremony," he complained.

Thousands of soccer fans were still stuck in traffic on their way to the Sandton fan park, as the opening ceremony to the World Cup started at Soccer City in Soweto at 14:00. William Nicol and Grayston drives were completely gridlocked.

Cars were parked at the sides of the roads, as people walked to get to the fan park on time. Most of the people were, however, still trapped in the traffic.

As the opening ceremony began, hundreds of people were still walking through the streets of Sandton, trying to get to the fan park. A sea of yellow shirts, South African flags and colourful vuvuzelas could be seen in the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

It did not seem as if the people minded being stuck in traffic.

"I'm excited to be here. It's historic. I don't mind the traffic and being late at the fan park," Christine d'Mello from Sydney, Australia said.

"This promises to be a unique World Cup. The energy of people is amazing," she added.
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