Host South Africa posts comeback Cup win

Follow Dan Wetzel on Twitter at @DanWetzel

The World Cup was celebrated by most South Africans, including these boys in Hout Bay.
(Julie Jacobson/AP)

JOHANNESBURG – The hum of the opulent Montecasino was as relentless as a vuvuzela Friday night – the popping of wine corks in the perimeter restaurants, the laughter and shouts of crowds packing into stores and bars and, of course, the click of chips getting passed back and forth over blackjack tables.

It looked a lot like Vegas. It felt a lot like Vegas.

Only this was Africa, the continent that caused immense criticism to rain down on FIFA six years ago when it decided to stage a major international sporting event here.

From that point right through the early stages of the World Cup last month, the hand-wringing and gloomy prognostications over security, transportation, crime, organization and even the supposed lukewarm passions of the locals were relentless.

Overwhelmingly, it turned out to be as baseless as the faux Tuscany décor of the casino. South Africa, it turns out, did great.

“South Africa has shown what it can do,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

On Sunday, the Netherlands and Spain meet in the World Cup final, capping off a month of great competition and even better home-nation hosting. For all the hysterical predicting of what would happen here, the final verdict is virtually unanimous.

There were few reported instances of crime on tourists, and most of them were people who unwisely put themselves at risk in dangerous neighborhoods – something that would happen anywhere in the world. While there were some hotel thefts involving the teams – and even FIFA headquarters was hit – things were safe for the most part.

The government dealt quickly and harshly with thieves in an effort to send a message. The housekeeping crew that stole from the rooms of the English team was given three-year prison terms within days of being caught.

South Africa, especially here in the largest city, has a major crime problem. The challenges of life in Johannesburg can’t be understated. It is a world of breathtaking contrasts – Soweto shantytowns and suburban Sandton Bentley dealerships.

Yet a massive police force kept the areas around stadiums, fan fests and popular nightlife districts calm. For this month, at least, it was safe. And not just in heavily fortified casinos.

In the country’s eight other host cities, things went even smoother. In world-class Cape Town, fans jammed outdoor viewing parties, crowded into clubs and packed the historic V&A Waterfront. Durban, another waterfront town, was likewise festive. And even rugged mining cities such as Rustenberg managed to become tourist destinations for a stretch.

In the meantime, people poured into game reserves or took extended safaris. Cape Town’s Robben Island museum was booked days ahead of time. The whale-watching boats and great white shark cage-diving companies couldn’t keep up with demand. Other fans just kicked back with some homegrown wine and watched one of Africa’s magnificent sunsets.

Eventually, they all filled a new, state-of-the-art stadium to cheer, blow horns and, at times, cry in sporting agony.

The only thing more impressive than the scenery was the people. South Africa is a divisive place where life isn’t easy for many. For a month, so many people put aside differences and difficulties and embraced the once-in-a-lifetime moment of hosting this event.

The World Cup, even with its influx of tourism money and long-term positive publicity, doesn’t solve the questions of the future here. But it did appear to unify. Regular people pulled together.

The fan zone in Cape Town was a popular destination for visitors from around the globe.
(Frank Augstein/AP)

Sometimes the message came from a cook coming out to make sure you enjoyed the kingklip he took pride in cooking to perfection. Sometimes from an immigrant woman in a rural shantytown explaining that, yes, this was difficult, but life would be better. Once it was a woman on the street in Cape Town who, after eyeing my press badge, begged me to write something good about her homeland.

This is a country and a continent with a remarkable spirit – daring, defiant and, even in the face of immense issues, hopeful. People from all classes and races carry a great sense of humor and a free-spiritedness that comes from knowing nature, in its rawest form, isn’t far away.

I toured squatters’ villages, crime-infested neighborhoods, rural outposts, neighborhood pubs, humble B&B’s and fancy casinos. Each was so different – except for the underlying vitality of the people there. Soccer fans or not, they knew this was important.

Somehow, one of the repeated lines from Shakira’s omnipresent pop song about the Cup – “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” – created a movement. Suddenly, so many people understood that this could change the image in the short and long term. Who doesn’t return from here raving to friends of the vacation potential of Cape Town?

“South Africa has shown what it can do,” Blatter said so simply.

And yes, the chance was all they ever asked for. Ignore the doom-and-gloom predictions and let us show you. Let South Africa have a chance.