President Jacob Zuma booted a ball off a stand in the Green Point Stadium on Thursday 11 June 2009, to mark the 365-day countdown to the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The City of Cape Town is marking this one-year countdown with a variety of events and celebrations in and around the city during the month of June.

Zuma visited the stadium for the first time for the countdown ceremony, and was joined by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, the Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Alderman Dan Plato, Deputy Minister of Sport Gert Oosthuizen, MEC for Sport and Recreation Sakkie Jenner, Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, Secretary-General of FIFA, Jérôme Valcke and CEO of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Danny Jordaan.

Zuma said South Africa would be ready for the start of the tournament, and has proved to the rest of the world that “we are a country that can be counted on”.

He also thanked FIFA “for trusting us and giving us an opportunity to prove ourselves”.

"We have proved to the world that South Africans are special people. When we have challenges we always rise to the occasion," he said, before kicking the ball to cheers and the sound of vuvuzelas.

Zuma congratulated the construction workers, who had been given the afternoon off to attend the ceremony, saying they have contributed to making history. “You, the workers put your strength, your sweat [into this] in an amazing fashion. You have done us good, made us proud.”

He also joked that the vuvuzela was known as the vuvuzille in the Western Cape.

Zuma predicted that Bafana Bafana would “surprise the world – I can guarantee that”.

The president was presented with a pair of gold-coloured soccer boots from the City of Cape Town by the stadium’s only female crane operator, Zoliswa Gila.

Jordaan said that everything would be ready in time for kick-off, and the world had forgotten about the so-called “Plan B” in case South Africa did not meet its deadlines.

Host city flags are being prominently displayed in strategic areas throughout the Cape metropole, such as Cape Town International Airport, the Fan Park on the Grand Parade, Strand Street, Hertzog Boulevard and Green Point Circle, in order to raise awareness and excitement about hosting the event.  

“Excitement is mounting for next year’s huge soccer spectacle, and Cape Town is pulling out all stops to make the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Pieter Cronjé, the City’s 2010 Communication Director.

Other events to mark the one-year countdown included an open-top bus tour to launch Cape Town Tourism’s 2010 campaign; while a Harley Davidson motorcycle rally from Green Point Stadium to the Football for Hope Centre in Khayelitsha; and a women’s five-a-side indoor soccer tournament at the Good Hope Centre are planned.

And even though Cape Town is not hosting the Confederations Cup, the City, provincial government and the SABC have arranged five Public Viewing Areas (PVAs) for Capetonians to view matches from June 14 to 28.

The PVAs are at the Gugulethu Sports Complex, Robinvale Complex in Atlantis, Fisantekraal, Blue Downs and the Desmond Tutu Sport Complex in Khayelitsha. These will be open from 11:00 to 22:30 on June 14, 17, 21, 22, 24, 25 and 28.