Dubai: Africa's long wait finally ends on Friday when the first World Cup on the continent kicks off with the host nation facing Mexico in the opening match.
Gates at South Africa's showpiece Soccer City World Cup stadium opened at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) amid high security, as fans began arriving for the match between the hosts and Mexico.
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Small groups waving the national flag and blowing vuvuzela trumpets strolled into the stadium on a chilly morning, after going through a security check point and ticket inspection.
"This moment has finally arrived. South Africa is witnessing a historic moment, I am looking forward to the game in the afternoon," said Tshepo Sehole who travelled overnight from the eastern province of Mpumalanga.
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A police helicopter hovered above the 94,700-seat stadium, covered in clay-coloured panels to resemble an African calabash pot.
National police chief Bheki Cele said 34,000 police were deployed around the stadium, aided by 10,000 reservists patrolling all public areas.
Opening day was clouded by the death of Nelson Mandela's 13-year-old great granddaughter in a car crash after Thursday night's kick-off concert in what police say was a drunk driving accident in downtown Johannesburg.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela will not attend the opening match of the after his great grand-daughter was killed, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said.
The Foundation said in a statement that Mandela, 91, who is widely credited with helping South Africa win the World Cup bid in 2004, learned of the death of Zenani Mandela on Friday morning.
"It would therefore be inappropriate for him to personally attend the 2010 Fifa World Cup opening celebrations," the Foundation statement said.
South Africans have been hoping he might be able to attend the opening match despite his frail health.
Rainbow Nation hosts the world
In transit at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, Leon-Ben Lamprecht is waiting to take a flight back to Cape Town.
“The vibe in the city is simply amazing,” he said, speaking to the Gulf News on telephone. “The streets are packed and the air is filled with the sound of vuvuzelas.”
This was hours before pop star Shakira took to the stage to herald one part of a two-day opening celebration for the 19th Fifa World Cup - the greatest sporting event on earth.
“It’s a fantastic moment to be putting this all together,” said Leon-Ben trying to shout over the tannoy. “South Africa has hosted big events before but the scope of this is incredible. And to all the nay sayers who said we couldn’t do it, I say screw you, we did it.”
Football brings the world a little closer. Here’s proof. A giant 16 ft x10 ft screen projector complete with an inverter backup and new carpeting has been set up at Nepal's Kapilavastu Jail for the prisoners to watch the world cup games
Prisoner Rishi Kumar Shrestha, serving a life sentence and who describes himself as ‘football crazy’ has funded the whole venture with money sent to him by his brother who works at a hotel in Dubai.
Closer to Europe, British bookmakers William Hill expect roughly one billion pounds to be gambled on the competition. They are offering odds for every possible scenario including very little on England winning the Cup but a lot on Wayne Rooney getting red carded for abusing a referee.
The main action is still in South Africa where, at 6pm Friday, the country will cheer the Bafana Bafana as they meet Mexico.
Chicken chain Nando's is offering holders of a Mexican passport a free flame-grilled quarter chicken and chips on Saturday as a consolation prize if they lose to the hosts.
And if you don't have a passport, Nando's says in the country's Business Day daily: "We're sure someone can arrange one for you" - a dig at the high level of identity theft in South Africa.
This could explain why a hundred of the UAE’s 500 strong Mexican population have decided to gather in the Hush Lounge at the Mina Salaam hotel in Dubai to cheer their national team.
One thing’s for sure, for the next one month the world will not be a normal place to live in.
