Regional differences are set aside as Spain savours win

The celebration of Spain's winning goal lasted well after 4am yesterday as everybody wanted to join in savouring the country's historic World Cup victory.

When Andres Iniesta, an FC Barcelona player, scored the goal in extra time to guide Spain to a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands on Sunday and their first World Cup title, the city erupted with such force that those who were fast asleep were definitely awoken.

Barcelona star Iniesta, who was named Man of the Match, scored the title-winning goal in the 116th minute as 84,490 spectators watched at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

Netherlands' defender John Heitinga was sent off in the 109th minute of a bad tempered game which saw English referee Howard Webb book another 12 players, a World Cup record.

Seconds after the winning goal, residents of Barcelona who were watching the game in their apartments ran outside to their balconies in their pyjamas, singing in unison and congratulating the neighbours as well as those walking down below.

Fireworks erupted from the Olympic stadium of Montjuic that could be seen from across the city.

Spanish flags were waved from balconies, while those who watched the match in tapas bars ran along the streets and chanted football victory songs.

United country

With that one special goal, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards united as they chanted "Viva Espana!" and "Campiones" across the nation's key cities, and for once politics was forgotten as everybody waved the country's flag and for a change, not the flag of their own province.

From Sevilla to Barcelona, and from Pamplona to Madrid, football fans hugged, kissed and cried with joy as "La Roja" (The Red) finally made its mark in the history of the World Cup.