Sam and I have just returned home from the Opening Ceremony and Match 1 of the FIFA 2010 World Cup. It’s a little surreal as this moment has been a few years in the making. The World Cup has always been 3 or 4 years away – something distant, not quite rooted in my reality of now. And now, it is here. Ke Nako.

As I suspected I would, I feel a huge swell of patriotism and national pride. I’m frikkin proud of my country and that we managed to get here, and get here successfully. I really wish I could revisit those social occasions when I had to listen to the naysayers waddle in their pessimism and just say “Na na na na naaaa”, ending off with a good show of the tongue.

My swell of patriotism is not surprising I guess considering that I’ve had my car wrapped in the SA flag 😉  Nevertheless, I’m proud tonight.

Visiting Soccer City in Soweto for the first time was amazing. The stadium has a vibe that is quite overwhelming in itself, nevermind what it’s like with 84000 fans, most of whom are blowing the gat off of their vuvuzela’s.

It will be a night to remember for sure.

PS: You’ll not the conspicuous absence of comment on the soccer itself. Indeed. This is because I’m not the biggest fan of the game. Why? Firstly, the ball is the wrong shape … it’s a malformed rugby ball. Secondly, there are too few rules … how do you play a game with only 3 rules? Really?

But let me say this: Bafana Bafana deserved a win, not a draw. A draw though is still a monumental result however. Good job boys!