Cape Town Stadium hosted its most exciting game yet on Friday night, when England took on Algeria in their Group C match.

Even though the end result was a disappointing goalless draw and drew complaints of a poor English performance, it was nonetheless the most atmospheric 2010 FIFA World Cup™ match hosted in Cape Town yet.

The packed stadium was alive with the sound not only of vuvuzelas, but of the famously vocal English supporters, whose singing, clapping and cheering at times even drowned out the local instruments.

The stadium seemed awash with red and white flags, shirts, hats and other paraphernalia, as the English supporters demonstrated their passion for the game and for their team.

There were also a sizeable number of Algerian supporters amongst the 64 100 spectators, with one corner and other pockets of seating dominated by the green and white national colours.

From the rousing anthems to the occasional moments when a goal seemed imminent, the atmosphere in the stadium was electric – particularly as the tension rose in the second half, as the pressure on both teams to score increased. As this became heightened, so did the sound of the vuvuzelas - many of which were blown by the English supporters.

Parts of Cape Town – and particularly Green Point’s restaurant strip - seem to have been taken over by English fans for the days preceding the match. Following the chilly weather conditions earlier in the week, the visitors were blessed with a perfect sunny Cape Town winter’s day, and the temperature at kick-off was a mild 17 degrees – nearly double the temperature during the previous game at the stadium.

Many of the South Africans attending the game were supporting England, as a result of the historical links between the countries, but, as one spectator admitted, also because of the English Premiership. “I’m a big Manchester United fan, so to see players like Wayne Rooney playing here in Cape Town is a dream come true for me.”

Other South Africans were staunchly supporting Algeria because it is an African country, even though its footballers are not as well known. “I’ll support any African team. This is our World Cup, and an African team has to win it – and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be Bafana, does it?” said one spectator.

His girlfriend, however, admitted she wasn’t really all that interested in the soccer.

“But it’s great to come and experience the vibe, it’s just amazing. And also, I really want to get a glimpse of David Beckham. Oh, and Prince William and Prince Harry too,” she smiled.