5 June 2020 – As South Africa prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™

South Africans and football fans the world over have started sharing their fond memories of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

A few days before the 10th anniversary of Africa’s historic first FIFA World Cup, the South African Football Association (SAFA)’s #my2010memories campaign is encouraging fans to recall some of the tournament’s most unique aspects.

The vuvuzela was one of the tournament’s biggest talking points, vehemently supported by South African football fans for whom it is a way of life, and even now still greeted with howls of derision from global football fans who found the noisy horn a shock to the conventional system.

There is also a reminder of the popularity of the ‘Diski Dance’, a South African Tourism initiative ahead of the tournament which showcased the country’s vibrancy and rhythm.

The pantsula-inspired street dance, which was inspired by South Africa’s “township football style” and “welcoming spirit”, became a popular tool to promote the tournament in new markets around the world.

“The vuvuzela was certainly a polarising factor during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, loved and hated in equal measure, but there’s no doubt it certainly left its mark in making the tournament one of the most unique in FIFA history. Even after the tournament, it was still blown by fans around the world. When I attended a game between the United States and Argentina at the Giants Stadium in New Jersey, I saw signs all over the stadium saying the vuvuzela was banned at the stadium,” SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan, humorously recalls.

Dr Jordaan recalls that current presumptive Democratic nominee for United States’ Presidential election, Joe Biden, attending the 2010 concert and opening match with his family and his daughters wanted as a memento was a vuvuzela and the distinctive makarapa, hard hat worn by local football fans.

The nostalgia will come flooding back over the next few days and SAFA encourages football fans to use the #my2010memories hashtag to share their memories of this special time.

Over the next few days, the campaign will look at the stadiums and host cities that hosted the tournament, reflect on the massive 2010 FIFA World Cup concert on the eve of the opening match, before from 11 June to 11 July 2020 marking the 10-year anniversary of the tournament, which was won by the star-studded Spanish team.

For more of 2010 FIFA World Cup stuff, see the SAFA campaign on all of the social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Website among others.

For more info please contact

Dominic.chimhavi@safa.net
+27 713329886