Hosting the World Cup gives South Africa chance to shine

With 3 billion football Fans around the world (including soccer fans the U.S.), the quadrennial World Cup is without question the only true global sporting event. For a month, people in countries far and wide follow the games on television, the Internet and even on their mobile phones.

The spotlight on the host country is bright and intense.

This year’s World Cup opened Friday with host South Africa playing Mexico. Today, The United States faces Britain in first round action.

If there is one word that defines this global event, it is “hope.” The 32 participating nations hope to emerge victorious; leaders around the world hope that the games tear down barriers; top players hope to not only give their fans a reason to cheer, but also to improve their value as professionals. And, the host country, South Africa, hopes that the billions of dollars spent will not only give the hundreds of thousands of visitors a positive experience, but will serve as the foundation for future economic and social development in Africa’s richest country.

The amount of money being spent on the World Cup is breath-taking. The Federation of International Football Associations raised $3.3 billion from television and sponsors, dwarfing the amount made in Germany four years ago. Of that, FIFA spent $1.1 billion to put on the month-long competition, while South Africa has shelled out $5 billion.

Stadiums, roads and public transportation links, including a high-speed train from the international airport to the center of Johannesburg, have been built.

President Jacob Zuma says the tournament has brought cohesion to his once divided nation, noting that South Africa has not witnessed such enthusiasm and excitement since former president Nelson Mandela was released from an apartheid-era prison in 1990.

National pride

Zuma said South African flags, festooning office towers, homes, stores and cars across the country, have become the most popular item for locals, and applauded the explosion of national pride, saying it was a priceless benefit of the event.

He also criticized those who doubted the nation’s ability to host the first World Cup on the African continent. South Africa was chosen in 2004 to put on to this year’s extravaganza from June 11 to July 11.

“We knew from that moment that South Africa would never be the same. It is clear that millions of our people have waited for years and look upon this tournament with hope, pride and a sense of belonging,” Zuma said.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki predicted the 2010 World Cup would be the moment when the African continent “turned the tide on centuries of poverty and conflict.”

But the reality is that there are deep seated problems, such as poverty, illiteracy, conflict between the majority blacks and minority whites and an AIDS epidemic that undermine development.

While new housing, roads and transportation systems will benefit the nation, it is up to the government of South Africa to make sure that all the improvements for the World Cup don’t end up being bitter reminders of all the money that was spent on a one-month extravaganza.

But for now, football fans should simply sit back and relish the fact that for the next four weeks the best players in the world will provide spectacular entertainment — in a country that has rolled out the red carpet.