WORLD CUP KICKOFF SO AYOBA!

Katja Hamilton

OH MY GOD! The World Cup Soccer is here! and boy has it been fantastic. From the moment I boarded the train from Kenilworth into town there was gees (spirit) and even more gees.

It was impossible to think that so many people could actually fit into one train car, but en-route to Cape Town CBD, the doors opened and more people packed in. We certainly did “make the circle bigger” as the unofficial World Cup slogan goes – and the vuvuzelas got louder and louder. It was amazing to see everyone so revved up for the big day, the rainbow-coloured wigs, face paint in the colours of the South African flag, yellow Bafana Bafana t-shirts.

I remember catching sight of a tourist’s face while we were waiting to board the train; he and his wife looked like they could’ve been from the UK: he had this huge smile and his eyes were filled with amazement as he gazed up and down the platform soaking in the reverie.

“His eyes were filled with amazement as he gazed up and down the platform soaking in the reverie.”

Once we got into town, about 1h30, I can say that I have never seen so many people in Cape Town Station. Disembarking from the train, I felt swept up in this whirlwind of faces, of energy, an undercurrent of bewilderment in the air. Once I got through the exit turnstiles I breathed out again! To be honest, getting to the entrance of the fan fest was a bit of let down.

Police were guarding the entrance – the venue had been filled to capacity and there was no way they were going to let anyone else in. The crowd waiting outside was restless, waiting for a moment when they could get through. The horses used for safety patrols were restless too; one struggled to stay under control. I feared being kicked in the head by one, he buckled as if to lift his front legs.

The crowd suddenly panicked and they reared back. I could see how quickly a crowd could suddenly turn into a stampede, and decided it wasn’t worth my life standing and waiting to get into the FIFA fanfest and went in search of greener pastures in the urban jungle. Somehow I had gotten into my head that Long Street might have a big screen for the screening of the SA vs Mexico game but again there was nada.

“Now where to now?” I thought.

I didn’t want to miss the game.

And then I remembered Safari Burger on Greenmarket Square, and when I got there I had my very own window seat from which to enjoy seeing the world pass by. They even have a full-screen plasma TV. Cheese burger and chips, good beer …this was the life, and slowly the café filled up. By the time the kickoff began there were people literally crawling through the windows to get in, sitting on the counters, others craning their heads in to see a glimpse of the action.

“By the time the kickoff began there were people literally crawling through the windows.”

Among those in the crowd was a man from Mitchells Plain with his wife and daughter, there was a Rastafarian with the most impressive dreadlocks and beautiful brown eyes with his girlfriend, the sweetest of Irish couples who were going to the Uruguay/French game at the Cape Town Stadium afterwards and their friend, a blonde girl who was completely bossies (crazy) screaming at the TV with all her might; I could imagine that if the TV screen had a will of its own it might have considered growing legs and getting itself the hell out of there :)

 Wow, and when South Africa scored I thought the roof of the corner café was going to blow off! Vuvuzelas were blowing and there were shouts of sheer happiness – and we were all singing Shosholoza eventually – goosebumps, goosebumps… I have never experienced anything like that in my life. The city was a throbbing high wire of exhilaration. Wow wow wow! And boy did everyone want to party afterwards when we drew 1-1.

“We’ll take that as a win!” said the brother of the bossies’ girl who was hugging her Irish friends. He was high-fiving everyone.

That was so Ayoba!