World Cup Experience....Much more than just the game

With the excitement building as the 2014 World Cup edges closer, my memories of my own World Cup adventure come flooding back. It was four years ago when the opportunity to join in the celebration in South Africa came my way. A chance to attend a football match which gave so much more,  a carnival of cultures, friendship and camaraderie.

As per this years tournament, back in 2010 the press was full of negative stories that South Africa wasn't ready, with stadiums unfinished and that the areas high crime rate would affect travelling fans. The end result was a classic tournament enjoyed by thousands of travelling fans won over by the South Africans enthusiasm for being the host to the world for the month.

Our base for our stay was Johannesburg, the centre being a thriving modern metropolis, no sign of the poverty ridden shacks further out on the outskirts. It was here in Nelson Mandela square that we encountered fans gathering from all corners of the globe. Under the giant statue of the South African icon, football became a family as flags of all nations could be found draped over the shoulders of the throngs. It was the place to be on an evening as it became a nightly ritual for fans to attend and attempt to out sing their counterparts from other countries. Like a rap battle one group sang whilst their opponents patiently waited for their chance to sing back. The songs endings were greeted a mixture of playful heckles and loud cheers and applause.

The Argentinian’s with their Latin flair  quickly followed by a group of Wrestling masked Mexicans , looking like a super hero choir group. The trumpet wielding Uruguayans, the drum bashing Spaniards, the samba beated Brazilians.....music from all round the world, a party for all....  

As for the football itself, the match we attended was so much more than the run of the mill game normally
attended on a Saturday afternoon. This was an occasion, a carnival type celebration with the game itself being a bit of a side attraction. The match we attended was USA v Algeria held in Pretoria, just east of Johannesburg.


The sun shone shone down on the stadium, full to capacity with an anticipation and excitement so strong you could feel it in the atmosphere. The loud, excitable US fans decked out in Stars and Stripes whilst the colourful and boisterous Algerian fans, many decked out in national costumes, joined together to make a outstanding occasion. With little segregation fans sat side by side with no sign of aggravation despite their blinded loyalties towards their own countries, a smile between themselves spreading a message that their words wouldn't convey.

The much maligned Vuvuzela was very much in evidence and whilst on the televised games it was an annoying droning pain, in the stadium it seemed to add to the atmosphere and certainly played it's part in making the occasion special.

The match itself was not the greatest, a tense tight affair which was finally settled late on by a US goal. The differing emotions were evident, wild celebrations from the Americans whilst the Algerian fans wore the look of despair.

4 years on the memories are still crystal clear and i'm sure anyone who has the chance to experience the Brazill world cup will return with that same thrill, one that will stay with them forever.