Chile's first World Cup win in 48 years over Honduras early this afternoon set the pattern for an extraordinary day in World Cup soccer today; more so in Bafana Bafana's disappointing loss, which shattered the nation's hopes. Nevertheless, World Cup spirit is hard to beat, and South African fans won't let today's events get the better of them. We're proud of our team's performance, and even prouder of our country. The world is here, and we're showing them we're the best!

FIFA Fan Fest™, Grand Parade

The FIFA Fan Fest™ was brimming with people today, and the atmosphere was electric. By 20:00, the venue was full and people were being diverted elsewhere. We spoke to some of the people who made it in.

Scoring green goals

First year Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) nature conservation student Zikhana Gqamlana spends her days at the FIFA Fan Fest™ wearing a lime green jumpsuit and a big smile, doing her bit to make sure that Cape Town scores a green goal this World Cup. "The environmental impact of this tournament could hit Cape Town hard," she says, "unless we work hard to educate people about reducing waste and using our water and energy resources carefully." Zikhona, who is from East London, is helping out as part of a team of green goal volunteers for the City of Cape Town. "The kids are our best target audience," says Zikhona. "They catch these ideas fast!" The volunteers mingle with fans and cheer whenever a fan scores a green goal - by separating their litter into the correct recycling containers, for example. They also entertain children on a mini soccer field, weaving stories about environmentally responsible behaviour into the rules of the game.

Visit the green goal exhibition at the FIFA Fan Fest™ from 11:00 until late.

Diski dancing the night away

Mingling among the fans at the FIFA Fan Fest™ today were twins Kaitlin and Cailyn (pictured right) aged 8, who alongside fellow Diski dancers taught the crowds the moves to the dance that’s on everyone’s lips, and hips…

When asked what her favourite move in the dance is Cailyn somewhat shyly admitted, “It’s the Table Mountain”, and then broke into a confident demonstration of the sequence.

Cape Town fashions under spotlight

Reporting for online fashion magazine, Tightrope, from the Media Centre in the City Hall was Casey Washington from Los Angeles, USA. “This is my second visit to Cape Town and I’m loving it – it’s great! I’m here to do a story on the event, the party life and the excitement, and what’s impressed me the most is the unity that the soccer has brought. I went to a function where the opening game with Bafana Bafana was being broadcast and it was like being punched in the stomach by the atmosphere. I was totally wowed by it!” he said. When asked what he thought of the soccer ‘fashions’ he grinned and replied, “Let's rather call them ‘statements’ – they’re very colourful – everyone is in the spirit and dressed in some sort of weird outfit!”

As Spain took on Switzerland earlier this afternoon, South African Craig Scottsman, dressed in the red and yellow Spanish colours, proudly announced, “Tourists now realise that South Africa is one of the best countries in the world and we’re proving we can host world events.”

London's Mayor takes green to a new level

Making a whistle-stop visit to the City Hall was the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, in South Africa for the FIFA World Cup™. This erstwhile supporter of green living demonstrated his commitment to sustainability by adding his handprint to a celebrity mural to be auctioned off to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund.

A portrait of Madiba framed the scene and as the Mayor made his marks he joked, “I’m rather proud of that, it’s the best painting I’ve ever done!” Click here for the video.

Oliver Tambo Fan Jol, Khayelitsha

The Oliver Tambo Fan Jol was abuzz with the sound of vuvuzelas and cheering tonight as Bafana Bafana took to the field just after 20:00. Thousands of fans took advantage of the opportunity to get together and share the excitement of watching their national team tackle Uruguay. The feeling of pride was almost palpable as our boys took to the field, and the Uruguan win did nothing to dampen their support. "Go Bafana!" they cheered.

On hand to make sure that nothing worse happened other
than losing a goal were volunteers Lumka Malinke, Hanna
Strauss and Michaela Beck (pictured right), who were busy tagging children to make sure they didn't get lost. Strauss and Beck are visitors from Germany, who said that they were here for the duration of the tournament, while Malinke is a learner at nearby Mfuleni High School. The commitment displayed by these girls - and the five others who work shifts whenever the Fan Jol is open - is awe inspiring. Rather than take advantage of today's fair weather and public holiday, all three were hard at work helping to make a difference. According to their supervisor Victor Malimke, all kids' tagging volunteers are part of an interfaith co-operation agreement between Cape Town's major faith groups. Elizabeth Petersen (pictured below right), a consultant to the Western Cape Religious Leaders' Forum, and Malimke's supervisor, said that such initiatives have been part of
the preparations for the tournament as well. The forum
had helped orchestrate the blessing of Cape Town Stadium in January, and had also been there at the initial sod turning of the site in 2008.

The Oliver Tambo Fan Jol will open again on Friday 18 June at 11:00 for the Germany vs Serbia (13:00), Slovenia vs USA (16:00) and England vs Algeria matches (20:30). For a full entertainment programme click here.

Bellville Velodrome Fan Jol, Bellville


Attendance at Bellville fan jol hit an all time high tonight as over 6 500 Bafana fans converged to watch South Africa's national team take on Uruguay. Pouring into the venue at a rate of 1 000 per hour from 15:00, they were a stirring sight in their yellow and green supporters' attire. Gates were closed at 20:00, with over 400 people still seeking admission. Despite the large number of people, no incidents were reported. Most of them  came from the surrounding area, although according to Bill Domingo, Director of ESP Afrika, the company responsible for organising the jol, many of them were from further afield - including overseas. "Alot of them have come from Constantia and Wynberg, and we've had a good sprinkling of foreigners too" he said.

A quick walk around the venue showed even more variety. Teenagers mingled with older people on the main floor, while families with young children took in the sights from the seats. And what sights there were! Goldfish wowed the crowd with its diversity of instruments which include saxophone, double bass, keyboard, flute and vocals with samplers and synthesisers. The band proved itself adaptable at best - they had adapted a couple of their tracks to accommodate harmonies from the eager vuvuzela-blowing crowd.

The Bellville Fan Jol will reopen on Friday 18 June for the Germany vs Serbia (13:30), Slovenia vs USA (14:00) and England vs Algeria (20:30) matches. The day will start with children's entertainment, including five-a-side soccer, face painting and a magic performance. For a full entertainment programme click here.

Swartklip Sports Complex Fan Jol, Mitchells Plain

Swartklip had a capacity crowd tonight to listen to famous local 'Jits Vinger' perform until Bafana Bafana took centre screen. People began arriving early, and by 17:00 the jol was already half full, with queues starting at the food stalls. All food is halaal, with a strong South African flavour: rotis, bunny chow and samoosas - local food designed to appeal to the international palate. Most fans walked to the Fan Jol, which is conveniently sited between Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. A few fans get there by taxi. The result is that traffic jams are nowhere to be seen, with very few frustrations and incidents. The biggest drama throughout the day was a bee sting, which needed only a touch of first aid, and two parking fines for cars parked on the yellow lines.

The Swartklip Fan Jol will open again on Friday 18 June for the Germany vs Serbia, Slovenia vs USA and England vs Algeria matches. For the highlights of each day click here.

Vygieskraal Stadium Fan Jol, Athlone

The Showtime Boys are the Cape Flats' best new 'boy band': five young, charming locals who have smooth, stylish dance moves that would be the envy of any player on the field. And these boys played to their field tonight at Vygieskraal Fan Jol, wowing the audience with their unique rhythm and smiles. There was candy floss and ice cream cones for the kids, local spiced dishes for the grown-ups, and the now-famous doughnuts for everyone.

The Vygieskraal Fan Jol will open again on Friday 18 June for the Germany vs Serbia (13:30), Slovenia vs USA (16:00) and England vs Algeria matches (20:30). For the highlights of each day click here.

Vibe from the malls

While many people went to the Fan Fest and Fan Jols today, the cooler-than-expected weather resulted in many choosing to head for Canal Walk Shopping Centre. The cavernous food court was decked out in international flags and was showing the World Cup games on a giant screen, while many restaurants and pubs were also showing the soccer.

Mogamat Rajap was one of the many watching the soccer while their families went shopping. “I’m much happier here watching the soccer than going around the shops, so it suits both my wife and myself!” he joked.

He said he was enjoying the World Cup so far, and had been to the FIFA Fan Fest on the Grand Parade to watch one of the matches. “It was a great experience, it was very well run, and I will go back again another time, but lately the weather hasn’t been that good so if I am not there or here, I will be watching at home, next to my heater.

“But that’s not as much fun,” he conceded.

Another couple taking a break from shopping to grab a bite and watch the soccer in the food court were Jerome and Karin Louw from Kuils River. They had been lucky enough to get tickets to the first World Cup game at Cape Town Stadium last Friday, and had been very impressed with how well everything was organised. “We parked at the Waterfront, and it wasn’t that far to walk to the stadium. And even afterwards, there wasn’t too much traffic getting back onto the highway.”

Also watching in the food court were Simphiwe Biko and his wife Amanda. “We’re just here to do some shopping, but we’re not going to stay to watch the Bafana game tonight,” he said. “We’re going to watch at Mzoli’s in Gugulethu. They have a big screen and it’s a really great atmosphere there. We watched the opening match there last Friday,” he said.

Billa Legae from Rustenburg had been in Cape Town for one day, and was very impressed with the city’s World Cup vibe. “You can really feel it’s a World Cup city when you arrive,” he said. “Lots of flags and posters and signs. There are even vuvuzelas all over the place. Maybe it’s not as big as in Joburg, but like Rustenburg, there is a good World Cup spirit here.