Flying the flag for football

The World Cup is seen by many South Africans as an opportunity to come together and stand united. As former President Nelson Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela said, "The World Cup will help unify people; if there is one thing in this planet that has the power to bind people, it is soccer."

Starting today and running until July 11, the 64 World Cup matches will be played in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban, Polokwane and Rustenburg. These nine cities have been intensively preparing for the tournament, ensuring the multipurpose stadia comfortably accommodate the thousands of football fans.

Ten sports grounds were chosen, five of which are newly built while the others underwent renovations, with Johannesburg's Soccer City having received a major upgrade.

According to the South African government's information website, the national government contributed more than 28 billion South African rands (Dh13 billion) to World Cup-related projects. The National Treasury allocated more than 9.8 billion rands for the building and upgrades of stadia and precinct development and, according to Sa2010, the government website dedicated to the World Cup 2010, host cities and provinces also made contributions to construction and supporting infrastructure development.

Investment programme

The 2004 announcement that South Africa would host the tournament saw the government invest heavily in transport projects. More than 11.7 billion rands have been spent on an infrastructure programme to ensure the smooth movement of fans, teams and media. An integrated transport system includes innovations such as rapid rail and rapid bus transit systems.

Around 1.5 billion rands have gone into upgrading ports of entry, says Sa2010, and immigration processes at these ports have been improved for smooth entry and exit. An event-specific visa will also contribute to easier entry, as travellers will be checked at airports before boarding flights.

South Africa is ready in terms of safety and security, says Bheki > Cele, National Police Commissioner General. A dedicated force of about 46,000 police officers is ready to deal with all eventualities. The officers will be deployed in the nine host cities and strategic areas, including sea ports, 54 land ports and airports. "I am confident that with all the training, equipment and manpower we have, we will deliver a safe and secure World Cup," he said.

An Intelligence Coordinating Committee was set up through which South African police have been working closely with foreign intelligence agencies, says Police Lieutenant General Andre Pruis. "A police member will coordinate all security activities of each team," he said. "They're also trained as diplomats, so they know how to liaise and have skills in time management, for example."

The Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has assured travellers that its security is up to standard. "The technology we use is world class and our security staff undergo regular, highly specialised training. As a result, well over 700 prohibited items are detected on a daily basis at our airports countrywide," Acsa told media.

South Africa has used this opportunity to improve its emergency medical services as well, investing eight million rands to upgrade facilities, according to the 2010 tournament website. At official venues, 24-hour emergency services will be provided along with international and domestic surveillance measures for disease outbreaks. Two fully equipped communication centres are being set up in each province for real-time coordination of emergency vehicles to the nearest emergency centre. Medical helicopter services have also been extended to all provinces.

Aside from all the off-pitch preparations, it is the on-pitch action that will be gripping the fans, so who will win the World Cup? No one can be certain, but people can expect a surprise from Argentina, says goalkeeper Sergio Romero. "We know what we need to do," he said. "The qualifiers were tough but the World Cup is another competition altogether. We're going to change what didn't work and let me tell you, the way we play in South Africa is going to surprise a few people. If we have the same strength and togetherness we had in the final few qualifiers, we should fear no one and can give anyone a match."

However, Germany's Arne Friedrich has a more cautious outlook for his team's chances. "To win it would be a dream come true, but we're not the favourites in South Africa," Friedrich said, adding that his group offers tough competition.

Coach Joachim Low also sees Germany's group opponents posing a threat. "Serbia were fantastic in qualifying and they have some extremely good players, likewise we'll have to be careful against Australia. Ghana are going to be very difficult… due to their physical strength and in Michael Essien they have a real superstar."

The underdogs

Host country coach Carlos Alberto Parreira says despite being viewed as underdogs, his team are playing well. "We are the underdogs in the World Cup, no one expects us to win our group," says Parreira. "We are playing better; we're now keeping the ball more. The confidence levels are improving. We are improving..."

Win or lose, the national team have the support of South Africans who are in full swing of celebrations and have been encouraged to keep the spirit going.

"We encourage South Africans to be great hosts, let's show the world our warmth, friendliness and love of the game. We should all fly the flag, sing the national anthem with pride, learn thediski dance and celebrate Football Fridays," says Miller Matola, Brand South Africa chief executive.

Here’s where the action is

Matches will be played at ten spectacular venues spread across the country from the Western Cape, through the interior, east coast and up to Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane

Forty-six thousand fans can be seated at this new stadium, which replaces the previous Peter Mokaba Stadium. The arena's roof is supported by columns that have been designed to resemble the trunks of the iconic, upside-down-looking baobab trees. Peter Mokaba, after whom the stadium is named, was an activist who fought for the emancipation of South Africa against the apartheid regime.

Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth

This new arena is the first football-dedicated stadium in the city and surrounding areas and seats 48,000 spectators. The building is about 40 metres high from field level to the top of the roof, which has a unique design.

Mbombela Stadium in Mbombela/Nelspruit

Newly built and named after the local municipality, the stadium seats 46,000 spectators. The signature feature is the 18 roof supports, which have been designed to resemble giraffes. Mbombela is siSwati, one of the 11 official languages, and literally means "many people together in a small space".

Green Point Stadium in Cape Town

Five first-round matches, one second-round, one quarterfinal and one semi-final will be played at this new stadium, which has a capacity of 70,000. The grounds are ideally located with the transportation hub of the city a short walking distance away.

Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban

Sometimes referred to as the Durban Stadium, the brand-new 70,000-seater arena has a steel arch spanning the length of the field, which at its highest point is 106 metres tall. The stadium boasts a cable car offering a panoramic view of the city and the Indian Ocean.

Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg

A minor upgrade raised the capacity to 44,000 at the stadium, which is named after the Bafokeng people who live in the area. The stadium has been host to many Premier Soccer League games before and will host four first-round and two second-round matches.

Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein

The stadium is expected to receive lots of attention during the tournament as Bloemfontein is home to some of the country's most passionate supporters. The stadium was refurbished for the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup, where it hosted the semi-final between Spain and the US. The second tier that was added to the western side of the stadium raised capacity to 45,000.

Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Tshwane/Pretoria

This upgraded venue, first used in 1906, is one of the country's oldest and can seat 50,000 spectators. The all-seater stadium is named after Robert Owen Loftus Versfeld, the founder of organised sports in the capital city. It has hosted many significant events, including matches of the 1995 Rugby World Cup and 1996 CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

Soccer City in Johannesburg

This arena, previously known as the FNB Stadium, has undergone a major upgrade, making it South Africa's largest sporting venue. The design of this unique-looking stadium was inspired by a calabash. The opening fixture and final of the tournament will be held at this venue, which seats 95,000 people.

Ellis Park in Johannesburg

An upgrade, which saw a new tier added to the north stand, has increased the seating capacity to 62,000. The venue, located in the centre of Johannesburg, has hosted numerous sporting events, including the final of the Rugby World Cup in 1995, which South Africa won, and more recently the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup final between Brazil and the US.