On the eve of Soccer World Cup 2010 that is being held in South Africa this year, I was wondering how South Africans living abroad feel about sports’ biggest event and the fact that it is held in South Africa this year.
While soccer is a hugely popular sport around the world, not all South Africans are soccer fans. Some may not care to watch SWC 2010 whether it is held in South Africa or not. Others may be very excited about it and can’t wait for it to start.
South Africa has many good points, but it is also known to have very high crime rates. That was one of the reasons for very lackluster ticket sales in Europe. A lot has been said about the crime, and the South African government has gone to some lengths to assure people that they will be safe during SWC 2010.
So, now my questions to you are…
About Soccer…
As a South African living abroad, are you planning to watch any of the SWC 2010 matches?
- Yes, I already have my plans set up and can't wait for it all to begin! (32%, 7 Votes)
- Yes, I may watch a few games if the opportunity comes up. It is being played in South Africa afterall. (45%, 10 Votes)
- No, I'm not a soccer fan and couldn't care less, even if it is in South Africa. (23%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 22
Loading ...About The Crime…
With South Africa having a big crime problem generally, do you think the crime will have a big impact on SWC 2010?
- Yes, the criminals are going to have a field day and the world will see how bad it is. (37%, 7 Votes)
- Not really. There may be some incidents, but the police will generally keep the fans and venues safe. (63%, 12 Votes)
- No, crime will not impact SWC 2010 at all. (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 19
Loading ...These polls will remain open until July 11, 2010.
I want to wish South Africa the best with the hosting of Soccer World Cup 2010. I hope some very good things come from it!
The Kick-Off concert is actually right now, live on ESPN2. Hopefully they'll cover the opening ceremony as well.
Yes, always a great festival: biggest sporting event outside the Olympics! South Africa isn’t capable of much, sadly, unlike ‘us’ as Springboks: good luck, anyway!
The crime wave will come only if the ‘plans’ fall through that have been reported: be ready for afterwards, otherwise, with guns ready, too.
Soccer is like a religion in the UK and great highs and lows sweep over the country depending on how well the English team is doing in this event. Our memories of the Rugby World Cup are shared in the same way as their World Cup win in 1966. I wish South Africa every success in hosting this event but have to wonder who is benefiting most from it. Kate (London)
Have watched 11 of the games so far now into Monday June 14th. Thought South Africa has done a great job on the whole event re-vamp and new stadiums are fantastic.
Sandra & Vic
i have watched most of the games… & have really enjoyed the experience ! it has been great to see snippets of south africa on the news.. the vuvuzelas & general mood of both the locals & fans has been wondeful.
currently living in the UK…. so any hint of home is a tonic .. who cares if we have lost or not…
hosting the games as a country has been uplifting & encouraging.. and i for one, am extremely proud to be called a south african !!
to all my countrymen out there … WELL DONE !!!
The SWC 2010 has now come and gone. Congratulations to South Africa for hosting what seemed to be a very successful world cup!
I think Bafana Bafana also did fine. They were never expected to win and at least had two good games. They can hold their heads high and start working on the next one.
I'm not sure I liked the vuvuzelas. It sounded like the games were played inside an angry beehive. I much prefer the crowds singing. It sounds much better and I think it does much more to inspire the players.
It looks like the majority of our poll voters also got it right about the crime… there was a small handful of incidents, but generally the crime was well-contained throughout. I just hope that the same effort to contain crime during SWC will be continued after SWC to make South Africa a safer place for all its inhabitants.
Julius Malema was very quiet during SWC, probably because the ANC told him to shut up and not ruin the whole thing for everyone. It will be interesting to see if "motor-mouth" Malema will start up again now that SWC is over.
Now on to next year's Rugby World Cup! I can't wait!
One more thing about the crime. I didn't see much in the news about crime at SWC 2010 and assumed that not much happened… until this article: 1000 Crimes at Venues http://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/WorldCup/National…
Considering that there were 64 games played and 1000 crimes (thefts & muggings) at venues, it means there were about 15 crimes per game. I wonder how that compares to previous World Cups in other countries.