Football World Cup 2010

South Africa hosting the month-long 2010 football World Cup, the nation has shown it has come a long way since the dark days of apartheid.

Before this event South Africa has hosted various international sporting events since the end of apartheid in 1994, including the 1995 rugby World Cup and cricket’s 2003 World Cup.

However, hosting football world cup if real proud for the nation as the game is globally popular. If the tournament goes smoothly, it should raise South Africa’s profile, as the country is already Africa’s economic powerhouse.

The event will improve the continent’s weak image on the whole. Former South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela lobbied hard to bring the cup to his homeland.

The flashy stadium of Johannesburg where the World Cup kicked off is not too far from Soweto, the sprawling township considered to be the bastion of the anti-apartheid movement.

There has been criticism on South Africa for not having the infrastructure to hold a global sporting event of the cup’s calibre, while high crime rates are also an issue. In the run-up to the event journalists have reportedly been mugged while cash has been stolen from the Greek team’s hotel rooms.

The South Africans government ensures that there are no major security lapses. Bomb squads are sweeping the venue and thousands of police officers are on high alert. It is a pity that Pakistani football fans will have to root for other national sides as this country does not register very high on the chart of international football.