AfriCAN

South Africa is proving all the naysayers wrong. So far, the tournament has been a tremendous success. Prior to the World Cup, people were predicting that the games would not start on time, that there would be chaos at the stadiums, and that the visitors would be robbed left and right.

On the contrary, we have had nothing but positive experiences so far. The venues have been very well organized and things have flowed well. Everything is well marked and user friendly. Our only complaint so far has been the strange ticket policy which is not something South Africa organized but a process that FIFA oversees.

The locals here are really embracing the tournament and have been very friendly towards the visitors. We have sensed that there is somewhat of a racial divide. There are some (not all) white South Africans who are ambivalent about the tournament and see this as a celebration of the new South Africa that they do not care for. Overwhelmingly, however, the nation is behind this and if anything this will have a more unifying effect.

This World Cup is proving to be a great advertisement for South Africa in particular and for Africa in general. As one T shirt here states: World Cup 2010 - AfriCAN.

Africa CAN get things done if given the opportunity.