‘Waka, Waka’ maka, tuka
This one may be for Africa, but it doesn’t stop the FIFA Football World Cup 2010, starting today in South Africa, from being the greatest show on Earth. That is not just hype. The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. An estimated 715.1 million people watched the final match of the 2006 World Cup held in Germany. For this World Cup, 204 countries entered. A series of qualification matches and play-offs was held over the last three years, across the six FIFA continental zones – Africa, Asia, North and Central America and Caribbean, South America, Oceania, and Europe. This process resulted in the qualification of the top 31 teams that, along with host nation South Africa, will compete in what is called the ‘finals’, starting today.
The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams each, which play each other in a round-robin format. The top two teams of each group qualify for the knockout stage, followed by the quarter finals, the semi finals, the third-place match and the finals. This is truly a world event. FIFA has more members than the 192-country United Nations (UNO). In comparison, the Cricket World Cup, which most Indians are so crazy about, has just seven real contenders, apart from a handful of ‘minnows’. That’s less participation than in a single FIFA continental zone!
This year’s World Cup will have a two-day opening. It started yesterday night with a spectacular three-hour Kick-off Celebration Concert at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg, to raise funds for ‘20 Centers for 2010’, a charity campaign dedicated to building twenty ‘Football for Hope’ centres for public health, education and football across Africa. The official 2010 World Cup song, ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ will be performed by singer Shakira backed by South African group Freshlyground. John Legend, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas, and Colombian heart-throb rocker Juanes, apart from a host of others, are performing. Afterwards, host South Africa plays Mexico in the opening match.
Though most Goans will be rooting for five-time winners Brazil as usual, the remarkable thing about most World Cup finals is the surprises they have produced. All eyes are on the South Africa vs Mexico game tonight. This is because till the present World Cup, no host country has failed to advance to the second round. South Africa might make dubious history by becoming the first, or it may not. But the host team, fondly called ‘Bafana Bafana’, needs a victory against powerful Mexico if it is going to emerge from the group. And, the 92-year-old former South African President Nelson Mandela, among others, will cheer them on. Mandela, better known as ‘Madiba’, is a huge football fan. He played a major role in bringing the World Cup to the African continent for the very first time this year.
The player to watch out for in this World Cup is young Lionel Messi of Argentina, the 2009 world player of the year. He has scored 34 goals for his club, Barcelona, this season, and will combine with Carlos Tevez, who scored eight goals for Manchester City and Javier Mascherano of Liverpool. Argentina’s coach, the great but controversial Diego Maradona – who was the architect of Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 1986 – has promised his team that if they win this World Cup, he will run naked through the streets of the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires. That underlines the kind of stakes involved in a Football World Cup victory.
For the next month, we are going to be treated to the very finest of footballing action the world has to offer, where the most skilled players on the globe fight for their country’s pride and honour. And we will all hope that some day, in the not-too-distant future, the Indian flag too will adorn a stadium where the World Cup finals are being played. Enjoy!
