Tens of thousands of ecstatic soccer fans in Bafana Bafana jerseys splashed beer on the streets of Cape Town after Bafana Bafana drew with Mexico in the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ opening match, played at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Click here to watch the video of the Fan Fest today.

Fans danced on the streets, blowing vuvuzelas and singing. Hundreds more stood outside restaurants and pubs in Long Street watching the match through windows, as all the public viewing areas and the Fan Fest on the Grand Parade were unable to accommodate any more people.

A capacity crowd of 6500 football fans created a sea of yellow and green at the Belville Velodrome Fan Jol for the opening game.

Fans started arriving at the Velodrome from 11:15 and by 15:00 the venue was filled to capacity with fans enjoying a fun-filled day of entertainment and football in family friendly surroundings.

Stalls selling Cape and South African cuisine such as roti and curry, boerewors rolls, fish and chips and other tasteful delights, as well as football paraphernalia, jewellery and arts and crafts, all did a roaring trade.

Live performances by dance and magic group Soccer Mania and singers Three Tons of Fun entertained the vuvuzela-blowing crowd before the World Cup opening ceremony was beamed live into the Velorome on two huge viewing screens. Massive dancing puppets entertained the hundreds of children who attended the event.

At the Vygieskraal Stadium Fan Jol in Athlone, about 3,000 people were comfortably seated on the grass in front of the giant LED screen and stage by 16:00, with another 1 000 seated in the grandstand. An impressive line-up of local entertainers sourced from the surrounding area got the crowd on its feet by combining traditional Cape music with heart-warming songs.

‘This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for emerging entertainers from the area, who otherwise wouldn't have such a large audience,’ said Rashied Mushfieldt, owner of the Urban Sounds Brass Band, who featured in the day's line-up. 


Around 250 security officers ensured that law and order was maintained, and vendors from the local community sold home-cooked fare to keep the crowd well fed and watered. There were no franchise food stalls, which ensured that the entire food offering had a uniquely local flavour. Adults who wanted alcohol were able to buy from a neatly set up 'beer garden' located on the periphery of the sports ground, where it was possible to buy beverages on a ticket system.

’It's a great place,’ said Bridget van der Berg, a local resident, attending the Fan Jol with family friends Amanda Gary and their son Daylin Reddy. She’d heard about the Fan Jol on the radio. ‘This event has united us, like never before,’ she said.

Sherene Simon, a local Bafana Bafana supporter, said the fact that the venue was so close by was an attraction. ‘Enjoy, and have fun,’ she advised fellow South Africans. ‘It's our time!’
And so back to Long Street, where Pio Snyman, 36, who had watched the entire game through a restaurant window in Long Street, could not hold back his tears when the final whistle was blown.

‘It was the most difficult game. Coming out with a draw it’s not definite but it’s good. It’s not the results we wanted but it's good. We are confident that we are going to make it to the second round,’ Snyman said.

Heide Sikunana, 23, from Gugulethu, watched the game at Grand Parade Fan Fest. She said she had been optimistic that SA was going to win, but she was fine with a draw. ‘I felt sure that South Africa was going to win. I thought it was going to be 1-0, but still feels fine with the draw,’ she said. “It’s not what we wanted but it’s good…’

And unlike in Johannesburg – where thousands of fans were reported to have missed the opening ceremony because of traffic gridlock – Cape Town fans took advantage of public transport, some for the first time in years, even decades. The parking at Fish Hoek beach, for example, was full of people walking in the opposite direction to usual – away from the beach and toward the station instead – and dressed for the long haul rather than a day in the sun, with blankets, beanie, backpacks and vuvuzelas. Janine Keane, 42, said she had not taken a train since her student days in Cape Town, but was willing to give it a try to avoid the gridlock. With her family, she planned to walk the 2.5km from the Cape Town Station to the stadium, and back again after the France-Uruguay game.

When we were at the Fan Walk earlier today, it was like walking from one end of a rainbow to the other (view video) and the pots of gold on either end are the FIFA Fan Fest and the Cape Town Stadium. There's so much to do, see, watch, eat, buy and admire on the 2,6km route, but what stood out most for us was the visible safety and security measures that are in place, to ensure that everyone felt the vibe without the vice.

Cape Town's sparking new stadium came alive with the sound of vuvuzelas, cheers, and the occasional "Ole" and Mexican wave on Friday night, as it hosted its first 2010 FIFA World Cup™ game.

A near-capacity crowd of 64,100 packed into the stadium to watch France play Uruguay in the second match of the month-long tournament.

The crowd erupted in applause and vuvuzela blasts as the teams walked out, the anthems were played, and the game kicked off promptly at 20:30.

Although the goalless draw was frustrating for many, the 90-minute game delivered a show of first-class soccer with the occasional nail-biting moment as a goal looked possible.

But judging by the sea of yellow Bafana Bafana jerseys in the stands, many of the supporters were there more for the experience of seeing the first World Cup™ event in the new stadium.

Most people expressed their sheer joy at being present for this first game, and that the World Cup™ has now finally come to Cape Town.

There was widespread praise for the facility, with many commenting on how all the seats had a good view, how good the pitch was, and how the crowd control measures had ensured that entering the stadium was relatively painless, despite queues at the checkpoints. There were some complaints about the cost of the food and drinks, and that some of these ran out.

The second level of the stadium, where the food and beverages were sold, was also a popular hub, and the fact that it offered excellent views of the pitch meant that many abandoned their seats to stand here and watch.

But one man for whom being in the stadium had special significance was the lead architect of the project, Robert Hormes, who now lives in Brazil, working on the next World Cup™, expressed his sheer delight at being present for this special occasion.

"I'm really looking forward to it, it's so exciting to be back and see it finished and all coming together," he said.

Walking along the Fan Walk from the city centre, Hormes also said it was good that the stadium was built in town. "Look at this," he said as thousands of revellers walked towards the stadium. "This would never have been the same if it was out of the city."

* At the Grand Parade on Saturday 12 June, the theme is African Day, and Oliver Mtukudzi will entertain the crowd between the matches while Miss H will be in the spotlight for the Late Night Groove.

* Get to the Bellville Velodrome early on Monday 14 June and enjoy Kids Entertainment, the Goodluck Party Band, Soccer Mania, a DJ, the Hawston Steelpan Band, Napalma as well as the matches.

Keep updated on our Facebook group (Cape Town’s official fan page) and on Twitter, and keep us updated with your pics, experiences and stories.