A child playing football in Soweto, on June 2 last.
By hosting the first World Cup in Africa, the country becomes a leader.
Within hours, the audience of the new Soccer City stadium in the heart of Soweto, will display the pride of an entire country. Before the cameras of the world, South Africa will launch the start of World Cup football. In the stands, around the figure of Nelson Mandela - which everyone expects the presence - and a gathering of Heads of State, we'll see smiles on faces and some relief. The government of President Jacob Zuma, head of the first economic power in Africa, will know when he has already won most of his bet. The continent is reached first to organize the largest and most publicized events in the world.
Ten stadium built
The challenge was daunting. In May 2004, when its designation as host of the World Cup, South Africa had already won a victory. The "nation rainbow" was an opportunity to demonstrate that it belongs to the "first world", both diplomatically and economically. The vote of Fifa, won at the expense of Morocco and Egypt, was confirmed as the first power of the continent. The implications of this decision go far beyond the context of football, when many voices, starting with that of France, want to quickly open the Security Council of the United Nations to new permanent members. The South African president Jacob Zuma has not taken wrong, citing a "unique opportunity to show our diversity and our potential in the world. We need to tell the story of a continent that is full of possibilities. "
Fixtures